Untamed Love
by finnickodairology
Summary: Katniss Everdeen is the Victor of the 70th Hunger Games. Her district partner, Peeta Mellark, died in the games for her. Katniss has to learn how to cope with being a mentor. How does this involve the infamous Finnick Odair? Katniss/Finnick
1. Chapter 1

When I swim back into consciousness, I can feel myself lying on a cold metal table. There are tubes in my arms and I feel dizzy surrounded by white walls. I can see a figure sitting next to me with his head on his arms, Haymitch, I figured. _Haymitch._ With that, everything comes flooding back, the games, Rue dying, Cato and the mutts, and Peeta. Peeta who died so I could come back. My body is racked with sobs, and I slowly begin to drift to unconsciousness.

_My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I am the winner of the 70th Hunger games. No, I am the Victor, cause nobody truly wins in these sadistic, twisted games. There are no winners in the districts. The only winners are the people who die a peaceful and quick death in the arena. _

"NO! Fishboy, I will not let him do that to Sweetheart!" I hear someone yell when I slowly wake up, and the smell of alcohol hits my nose. _Haymitch_, I think presumably.

"Do you think I want this Hay? She doesn't have a choice! She loves Prim and Snow will use that against her!" _PRIM? What's happening? _I hear a familiar voice reply Haymitch.

I begin to groan, stretching my arms, and finding them free of tubes and scars that I got from my games. I open my eyes and catch a glimpse of sea-green eyes and bronze hair. Taking a few seconds to adjust my eyes to the light, I finally recognise him as the 65th Victor of the Hunger Games, The Finnick Odair. _He truly is beautif- Wait what is he doing here?_

"Katniss Everdeen" He smirks, and brings my hand to his lips. "Finnick Odair at your service. The pleasure will be all yours." He says with a wink. I turn beet red for some reason. _Wait, why am I blushing? _

"Sweetheart! Good to see you alive!" Haymitch exclaims while he staggers up to the side of my bed, holding a flask. I can't help but hug him, the only person that I was familiar with at the moment. Haymitch chuckles and glances at Finnick, _What were they talking about? What about Prim?_ I was just about to ask them when Cinna comes in and congratulates me on my victory. Cinna brings me into another room to dress me up for my interview with Caesar.

"How does it feel to win?" Cinna asks, lifting an eyebrow, while adjusting my dress. I just shrug, I feel dirty and empty. _Peeta should be here, not me. I should have died in the Arena. _

"I just wished-" I get cut off by Cinna.

"You just wished Peeta was here with you, yes I understand Katniss. But sometimes things never do work out just the way we want it to do. And Peeta wouldn't have wanted you to dishonour his memory with tears." Cinna says. I sniffle, trying to hide the tears that are threatening to fall. _Do not cry. What happened to the Katniss from District 12 that never cried or showed emotions? She's gone, just like the boy with the bread. _Effie comes in abruptly and interrupts us, dragging me away from Cinna. I give him an apologetic look and start to walk with her.

"Oh Katniss! You look ravishing!" I give her a small smile, but I'm sure it doesn't reach my eyes. Effie escorts me backstage then I am left alone, waiting for my cue to come on stage.

"Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire!" I hear Caesar's voice boom through the place. His hair and suit is still the midnight blue, his teeth white as ever. I slowly walk towards him and sit down onto the plush white chair next to him. _Calm down Katniss. They already love you._

"So Katniss," he asks me, "How are you feeling?" _Scared. Angry. Confused. Tired. Heartbroken. I knew I couldn't say that so I looked for Cinna in the crowd. _

"Honestly, I'm kinda hungry." I say with a small smile. The audience laughs at my response. _Look at these people, they think I'm just their puppet. _I try to hide my grimace throughout the interview and Caesar talks about how this Hunger Games has been a success and then play the highlights of my games. Then comes the question, I had hoped he would have left out. Caesar leans forward, taking my hand in his and clears his throat so the audience would settle down.

"How are you coping? With losing Peeta?" I tear up a bit and told him how he saved my life with the bread. "Peeta saved my life when I was little, my father had just died and my family had no money to feed ourselves. One day, I was sitting under a tree, waiting for death to take me, when Peeta comes out of the bakery and tosses me a loaf of bread. He saved my life, and I couldn't save him. And now he isn't here, he died for me." I didn't have to lie about this, he really did save my life. Caesar gives me a hug out of sympathy and then the interview is over. I go up to my room in the training centre with Effie blabbing about some Capitol gossip and someone's wedding last week. When the elevator opens, a pair of green eyes welcome me.

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AN:** So, what do you think? Should I continue? Please let me know, reviews are welcome! **


	2. Chapter 2

I am suddenly hugged by a pair of strong, tan arms that belong to none other than The Finnick Odair. I scoff in disgust and push him away. _Who does he think he is? _He frowns momentarily, but when I blink, he smirks at me and pops a sugar cube into his mouth.

"I have never seen someone reject you Fishboy!" Haymitch exclaims, taking another swig of alcohol. The smell of alcohol hits the air and I somehow relax at the familiarity of the smell. Finnick chuckles lightly and glances over at me, "That's cause nobody ever does." _Is he a jerk all the time? Or is it just me? _I excuse myself and go into my bedroom, hoping to get peaceful sleep.

**_No Peeta! What are you doing?_ "Come to save your boyfriend Fire Girl?" Cato asks, tightening his headlock on Peeta. Peeta winces at this and mouths _I'm sorry_. _Peeta! No, don't leave me! _I try to shout at him but somehow I can't speak at all. Before I know it, Peeta pushes himself and Cato off the Cornucopia and onto the ground with the mutts. **

"Peeta!" I scream. I wake up to find myself drenched in sweat and my throat sore. _Great, I must have been screaming. _I slide off my bed and walk into the living room, with just my silk night gown and slippers. An Avox comes by and gives me some hot chocolate and I smile and thank him gratefully. My feet lead me to the balcony and I sit there thinking of how I have changed since the reaping. Not long after that, I find myself crying silently with my head on top of my knees.

"Katniss?" A voice asks, but I couldn't care less. _Peeta's gone and it's all my fault. _A pair of strong arms wrap me in a tight embrace and I subconsciously hide my head into his chest and sob.

"It's going to be alright Katniss." The voice says soothingly, and I find the crook of his neck and nuzzle my head onto it. I feel his chest vibrate, caused by him chuckling. I inhale his scent, thinking that it would smell like alcohol, but only to find the smell of the sea. I've never been to the sea, but if I did, I'm pretty sure this is what it would smell like. _Wait, the sea?_ On that note, I pull back from the embrace to see Finnick smiling at me.

"Finnick? What are you doing here? I thought you were Haymitch!" I explain, not wanting him to think that I knew it was him.

He frowns and quickly covers it up with his usual annoyingly handsome smirks. _No, it is not handsome, Finnick is just one of those annoying jerks who breaks women's hearts in the Capitol. _

"Oh, come on Kat, give me a break! I saw you crying and I decided to see what was wrong." He says while pouting. I snort which I knew was unladylike, and if Effie saw, she would most definitely scold me for doing such a thing.

"Stay away from me. And do not call me Kat!" I shout, crossing my arms over my chest when I notice what I'm wearing.

"Fishboy! Over here!" Haymitch shouts from the living room. I decide that I better get back to bed, before Haymitch nags at me for something stupid.

"See you soon Girl on fire!" Finnick shouts from behind me, when I walk away from him. _Why is he always here? I wish Peeta was here to comfort me. _I fall back asleep thinking of my boy with the bread.

"Up, up, up! It's time for a big, big day!" I hear Effie say from behind my door. I groan wanting to fall back asleep, as if knowing my plans, Effie barges through my doors with my prep team.

They all bombarded me with questions and Cinna comes in with an apologetic smile. I am soon turned into the Girl on Fire once again. When everything is done, I go down to the training floor and find myself near the bow-and-arrow section. Then a door catches my attention, _That wasn't there before?_ I turn the handle and find a massive swimming pool inside. _There's someone swimming._ I quietly walk in and sit on the bench near the pool. The person swimming notices me and comes to surface. It's Playboy Odair. _Oh it's him, just my luck. _I stand up and start to walk away when Finnick grabs ahold of my hand. I turn to face his dripping wet figure, shirtless, he shakes his head and looks at me.

"Wait up Kat! What's the hurry?" he asks, his lips curling into a smirk and I scoff in disgust.

"What's wrong? Don't have Capitol women to flirt with?" I retort back, glaring at him with fierce.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"Oh, don't act all innocent Odair. I've seen you on TV, with all those Capitol women. You disgust me." I scoff and pull my hand away from his tight grip. I walk away and find Haymitch outside, surprisingly sober.

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't be so hard on fishboy over there. Just like you, he has to do certain things for his family's safety." Haymitch explains, raising his eyebrows as if hinting on something. _His family's safety? All Finnick ever does is flirt and sleep with other Capitol women. Oh my god. Finnick and those Capitol women, it's all fake. Finnick did that so that his family would stay safe, I along with the rest of Panem have misjudged Finnick Odair._

"Finnick never wanted to sleep with all those Capitol people did he? Did Snow do that to him? Turn him into something he's not?" I wince slightly, reciting what Peeta told me the night before the games.

"Snow threatened to kill his family and Annie if he didn't do what was expected from him." Haymitch explains furthermore, sighing and nudging my shoulders.

"Come on, Effie's going to kill us if we miss dinner." He reminds me, walking towards the elevator. I look back at the door which leads to the swimming pool, the door which leads to the bronze haired man who I have misjudged poorly. _I'll apologize tomorrow before I leave for District 12. _I think before I go back to the District 12 floor of the Training Centre.

The next day was surprisingly quiet, Effie had been too busy organising the train to wake me up at 8 o'clock. Somehow I was already up, and find myself in the elevator after showering. I press the number 4 button and wait, _Is it too weird for me to come and apologize to him? Hell, is he even awake? _The sound of the elevator door opening brings me back to reality and I find Finnick sitting down on a beige colour couch, munching on what I think are sugarcubes.

"Finn?" I call him quietly, his head darts my way and he grins at the sight of me.

"Katniss! I wondered when you would come by to see me!" He walks up to me and leans on the wall in front of me. _Really? You're still going to be a self-centred jerk?_

"Actually, I came here to apologize for what I said yesterday." I tell him, his smile falters for a second and he masks it up with a smirk. _That's why he's always an asshole, it's his mask for the Capitol._

"No need to apologize Girl on Fire. Everyone has their moments." He purrs into my ear and smiles seductively at me. "I thought your trains leaves today?" He asks.

"It leaves tomorrow morning, there's a problem with the engine so I get today all by myself." I explain, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Why don't we talk? I'll show you to my room!" He purrs, wiggling his eyebrows. I laugh at his childish attitude, _I wish this Finnick would show up more often._

We talk about our districts and our past before we were reaped. He told me about Mags, his mentor and how she was now a motherly figure in his life. I told him about Prim and Madge, but subconsciously left out Gale for some reason. Then he told me about Annie and how she was his first girlfriend but died in her Hunger Games because of a tribute. He teared up a little and I hugged him and tried to soothe him.

"I wish you were more like this everyday, rather than Capitol Finnick who is just too full of himself." I tell him, he chuckles and nudges my shoulder.

"I know Haymitch told you about me and my line of work." He explains, choosing his words carefully. I nod and offer him a smile which he returned. His sea-green eyes now looked dull and almost _empty. Empty like Peeta's when he died. _I shudder and Finnick wraps his arms around me.

"Cold? I'll warm you up." He grins cheekily. I giggle softly and feel my body giving into his warmth.

When I wake up, I see I am not in my room but a blue room with a white closet. I see someone beside me with bronze hair. _Oh, it's Finnick. _I glance at the clock on his wall that read 7:00 a.m. I moved to get up but was stopped when Finnick's tan arm that was wrapped around my waist tightens. Finnick groans and brushes his nose against my hair, inhaling my scent.

"Mmm.. 5 more minutes." Finnick groans, bringing my body closer to his.

"I have to get up, my train is leaving in an hour!" I complained struggling to break free from his grip.

"Shower in the train!" He complains, pulling me back and smirking. I sigh and lay back down. _Stupid Finnick and his damn strong arms. _Nevertheless, I smile and glance at the god-like man laying next to me. He smiles at me and hides his face in the crook of my neck, breathing heavily. I shudder and soon fll back into slumber with him next to me.

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**AN: Reviews are encouraged! Sorry if it's bad and chapter 3 will be up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So, I've decided to change it up a bit using Finnick's POV in this chapter. I'm just trying out something new so tell me what you think!**

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**Finnick's POV**

I wake up to see Katniss lying next to me, her face tucked into the crook of my neck, her slow breathing making me shudder slightly. Her soft brown locks perfectly frame her face, her olive white skin, so soft and looks like its glowing. Her body is filled with curves at all the right places and her pink lips look luscious as ever. _She's so beautiful it hurts. I wish you knew how long I have waited to meet you Kat. Even though you didn't welcome me nicely, I still stuck around for you. And evidently it was not for waste. _I chuckled lightly and kissed her nose, hoping she wouldn't realise. She scrunched up her nose and the urge to kiss her luscious lips was hard to resist. _She's so different to Annie. Annie was quiet and calm, where eras Kat is like a tornado, glaring at everyone and shooting sarcastic comments to everyone. I should call you Spitfire!_ I start to play with her hair and she subconsciously sighs and nuzzles her face to my bare chest. Then, the door slams open and an angry Haymitch comes into view.

"Fishboy what the hell do you think you're doing with my victor!" Haymitch yells, pulling the sheets off of us, revealing us to the cool draft. Katniss' eyes dart open and I see her beautiful gray eyes that contain her fire.

"What the hell Haymitch! What are you doing here?" Katniss asks, shivering slightly when I pull away from our embrace.

"You are late! The train leaves in 5 minutes and when I saw you weren't there, I came looking for you. I never would have thought you would be here with Finnick. Let along sleep with him!" Haymitch shouts, his eyes were bloodshot red, from the alcohol I suppose. Katniss blushes furiously and I chuckle at her innocence.

"Don't worry Haymitch, I didn't sleep with her like that.. yet." I purr out, winking at Katniss who was trying to hide her blush.

"Fishboy I swear to god sometimes it just sounds that you want a fist to the face." Haymitch threatens me, and continues. "Whatever, Katniss just get up and go to the train, its leaving in 5 minutes and you don't want to miss it." Haymitch explains, and sighs. _What's wrong with him? Don't want Katniss to lose her innocence? _I chuckle and turn to face Katniss who was still blushing.

"I guess I have to leave then." Katniss says to me, and I pout. _I don't know what to do without her here, even though I have just met her and had one civil conversation with her. _She starts to stand up and walk to the door. I rush to her side and grab her wrist, turning her so that she would face me. I try to memorize her face, her beautiful grey eyes and her fiery stare, her rosy cheeks, her luscious pink lips and her cute little nose. I groan at the thought of being kept away from her for so long. _Keep yourself together man! Girls fawn over Finnick, Finnick does not fawn over girls! _I try to tell myself but I just can't seem to figure her out. I grab a pen from my pockets and scribble my home number onto the palm of her hand. She looks at me confused, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"You'll have a phone in your new house. Call me sometime." I tell her, my lips curling into a smirk. _No she's just not any girl. I don't think I have ever felt this way. Even with Annie. _

"Sure fishboy, I don't think Gale would allow me though." Katniss tells me, laughing lightly. _Gale? Her so called 'best friend'?_ My gut twist and turns and I pout slightly, but mask it quickly.

"Well then, better not let him know." I tell her and stroke her cheek with my thumb. _Oh how I long to kiss you Kat. But I know that won't happen, you still love Peeta. _I laugh at her and tuck in her hair behind her ear that was freed from its restrain.

"Don't you have a train to catch?" I remind her teasingly when her face breaks into panic.

"Oh my god, I almost forgot!" She exclaims and I kiss her cheeks sweetly before letting her go.

"See you later, Fire Girl!" I say when she starts to run to catch up with her train. _See you Katniss. Don't forget about me._

"Bye Fishboy!" She shouts, teasing me with the nickname Haymitch gave me. "Oh and don't miss me too much." She tells me, giving me a teasing look before getting into the elevator. _Oh Kat, if only you knew how much I will._

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**AN: Reviews = Love**


	4. Chapter 4

Katniss' POV

The train ride home was quiet, Haymitch was drunk as usual and I stayed in my room thinking about Prim, Gale, my mother and the rest of District 12. _Will they still accept me? I'm a murdered, Prim will hate me and Gale, he'll probably stop talking to me. _I am suddenly brought back into reality when the train stops.

"Come on Sweetheart, time to meet your adoring fans." Haymitch slurs, drunkly and chuckles when he's sees me shaken up. I stood up forcefully and walked out of the train with Haymitch by my side. I loop my arms around his and grab his hand, griping it so tight that I think it might lose circulation. I get up on the stage and see everyone cheering for me, I see Madge and Mayor Undersee waving and they congratulate me on stage.

"Katniss!" Prim shouts, running up to me and hugging me tightly.

"Hey there, little duck." I say, sniffling trying to hide my tears. _Please don't hate me. _

"You came back." She sobs into my dress, slightly making it damp with her tears. I laugh lightly and tighten my grip around her.

"I promised you I would. I love you little duck." I say, kissing the top of her head, hoping, praying to any god up there that she wouldn't hate me for what I did to survive.

"I love you too Kat!" She gives me a toothy smile, and I sigh, knowing that she doesn't in fact hate me and that she still loves me. I laugh and hug my mother, and we all walk to our new home in Victor's village. It was huge, compared to my old house, but was smaller than any of the houses I saw while I was in the Capitol. I opened the white door to reveal a big blue room with a small white chandelier, the living room was painted blue, a plush red sofa placed in front of a big TV. Prim bolted upstairs to see her room and I hear a girly shriek.

"PRIM?" I shouted, worried that she fell or injured herself. _Please be okay. I don't know what I would do if you weren't._

"Prim?" I see her standing there, with her mouth open looking at her room. It was blue, _of course, it's her favourite colour. _Her bed was a soft blue colour and she had a royal red rug on the floor, she had shelves with books about nature and herbs and medical stuff. _How did they know Prim likes those sorts of things? _I wonder, confused and baffled. _Oh well as long as she is happy._ I walk over to the master bedroom, _my room_, I suppose. It was huge, with white walls and brown wooden floors. A white queen-sized bed was in the middle of the room and there were black elegant shelves and closets for my clothes. I opened one of the closets and find dresses and skirts already there for my use. _I guess Cinna stocked up my wardrobe. _I chuckle and feel the soft fabric against the tip of my fingers. I walk into the bathroom attached to my room and find it just like the bathrooms in the Training Centre. _I need a bath._ I slowly unzip my dress and push the buttons for lilac scented water and press the button so that I can condition my hair. _Good thing Cinna thought me the buttons. _I wince when I remember my first encounter with the fancy Capitol buttons, my skin was red and I smelled like peaches for 3 whole days! I get out of the tub and get dressed, using a white lace nightgown and curling up in my bed. _I think I'll just talk to Gale tomorrow, _and with that I fall asleep and is greeted by my nightmares.

**"I thought you cared about me!" Peeta says, lashing his sword against my leg. I fall and blood starts to rush out of my leg. **

**"Peeta." I whimper, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. ****_Peeta, what happened._**

**"You never even loved me! It was all fake right?" He's starting to shout, stepping closer and towering over me. ****_He hates me. Peeta hates me._**

**"No! I do, but-" I start but Peeta cuts me off and chokes me.**

**"But never in that way. It was always Gale right? Maybe you just used him like you used me!" He says, tightening his grip on my throat.**

**"Peeta." I whimper and just start to sob. ****_This is it, I'm going to die. I'm sorry Prim. Gale. Haymitch. Mother. _****Then all of a sudden, Cato snaps Peeta's neck and the cannon booms. ****_Peeta's dead. Cato killed him._**** Panic rushes over me and I am wracked in sobs.**

**"NO! PEETA!" I hug his lifeless body and I black out.**

"PEETA!" I scream, panting, out of breath. _Wait why am I out of breath? _I start to look around and figure out that I'm in my new room. I climb out of my bed, take a shower and change into my hunting clothes. _I can't stand it here, I'll just go and find Gale._ I walk down the streets and people stare at me. _Do I look that different? Or do they just think that I'm now some kind of Capitol mutt._

"Hello Katniss," Darius, one of the peacekeepers in my district says, putting an arm around me. I scoff at him, _Really? Still hitting on underaged girls Darius? _I cock my head to the side, as if questioning him.

"You have certainly changed," He eyes me up and down. "For the better, I might add." He chuckles lightly and grabs a strawberry. "How about it Katniss? The offer still stands. 1 kiss for a dozen strawberries! Its a cheap trade don't ya think?" I laugh at this, _Does he really think I would kiss him? I didn't accept his offer when my family was struggling to eat, especially now, when I have food, more than enough, I might add. _I chuckle and slide his arm from my shoulders.

"No thanks, Darius, try that girl over there." I suggest, pointing at a blonde girl who looks my age. When he gets distracted, I slip away and walk for the fence blocking the forest from District 12. I wait quietly to hear if the fence was humming with electricity or not and slip in a hole in the fence. I take in the smell that I have gotten to know for all my years living, I quickly find the hollow log that keeps my wooden bow and arrows, made by my father when he was still alive. I take it and quickly stalk of deeper into the forest, I find Gale leaning against a big boulder we sat next to on the day I was reaped.

"Hey Catnip!" He says cheerfully, welcoming me in a big embrace. He smells like pine and coal, his hair is ruffed up and he kisses the top of my forehead.

"Hey, let's go hunt." I say, pulling away, somehow I feel weird hugging Gale, even though this kind of interaction is not foreign to me. We talk about the district and he asks me about the games. It still hurt to talk about the games and to talk about Peeta but Gale was so insistent upon it so I just went along with it. We ended up with 4 squirrels, a dozen strawberries, a few fish and a fat turkey. We hid our bows and walked towards the Hob to make trade for a few necessities Gale might need. I was pleased to find out nobody treated me any different than before and some welcomed me back, Greasy Sae said she took a bet with someone that I would come back and Rooba told me she was pleased to know that she would still get some decent meat. I smiled gratefully and followed Gale back to his house. It was a quiet walk but it wasn't the sort of silence that was awkward, it was comfortable and soothing. After a while, Gale decides to break the silence.

"Catnip, I need to tell you something." He starts, he was shifting his feet and looking at me with worry in his eyes. _He is honestly starting to scare me. _I nod for him to continue and continue walking slowly so he could keep up with my pace.

"Remember the day you were reaped? I came by to say something but the peacekeepers dragged me away from you?" I wince a little at this, _Why does he always have to bring my reaping up?_

"Yeah well, what I was going to tell you was that, no is that, I love you." He looks at me nervously, shifting the game bag from one hand to another. I stood there shocked. _Gale loves me? That's not possible._

"As a sister right?" I ask him quietly, looking at my shoes, scared to meet his eyes. He chuckles and lifts my chin using his index finger.

"No Catnip. I love you." I was still confused, _He never even answered my question._ I think to myself, before I could even respond he kisses me square on the lips and after a few seconds pulls back. _I don't know what to say. I just lost Peeta and now Gale loves me? God help me. And what about Finnick? Wait, Finnick? What about him? I'm nobody to him. _Sensing my hesitation, Gale hugs me and whispers into my ear.

"You don't have to say anything yet Catnip. I'll wait for-"

"Gale! Katniss! Come over here!" Hazelle shouts at us, curiosity takes over me and I walk over to her, with Gale still holding my hand. Hazelle eyes our hands disapprovingly and I slip my hand out of his hold. _Why do I have a feeling that she saw Gale kiss me?_ Hazelle sighs and looks at me warily, I start to get anxious.

"Katniss, I don't know how to say this but from what I saw, I need to tell you." She takes my hand and tells me to sit down, which I do carefully. Gale looks at us curiously and takes a seat beside me.

"When your father and mother were not yet married, I was close to him. Closer than," she starts to hesitate, as if looking for the right words. "Friends. Your father and I were madly in love with each other but I was with my husband, so it had to be kept a secret. We were so in love that we didn't care about anything else, but then I had Gale." I cut her off, _Why is she telling me this?_

"Hazelle why are you telling me this?" I start to question her.

"Just listen to me first Katniss," _Okay now she is really freaking me out. _"I had Gale, but not with the man you think I had him with, but I had Gale with your father Katniss." _What! Gale is my brother? Why didn't my father tell me anything? Why did Hazelle keep me in the dark for so long? My father, the family member I used to idolize, lied to me. _I start to tear up, Gale was already thrashing about, swearing and shouting at Hazelle, who was already in tears looking at me.

"I'm sorry." She says, holding my hands.

"Why didn't he tell me? He never lied to me?" I ask her, glaring at her so that she would answer me quickly.

"He never knew. He told me he met your mother and that he was in love and was to marry her, the day I wanted to tell him. I couldn't break his heart or your mother's, so I kept quiet. Katniss dear, Gale is your half-brother." I was too shocked to answer her, so I just ran out the door and went for my house in Victors Village. _That's why Gale and I look alike. Hell, that's why we are so alike. He's my half-brother. He looks like me, and looks like father. We'll never be the same again. How could Hazelle do that to my father? Leave him out of this and not tell him about his son! Love. She loved him so much that she rather see him with another girl and not with her and his son just so he could be truly happy. _I ignore my mother's questions when I walk in the door and go up to my room and take a bath. I relax as the warm water washes the dirt of my skin and a minty scent is released. _God I miss Finnick. _I tense up at my own confession. _He makes the pain and problems go away, even though he is a self-righteous bastard most of the time. _I dry myself using a towel and change into a black t-shirt and some grey pants. _Haymitch. He'll offer me some company. _I smile and go downstairs and start walking next-door to Haymitch's house. When I open the door, the smell of alcohol hits my nostrils like poison. _God this place is a mess. _I start to pick up bottles and throw them in the trash can. Haymitch hears that someone's here and darts his eyes to find mine.

"Well sweetheart, I have to say, I'm kinda surprised you're here!" He guffaws and offers me a seat in front of him.

"Yeah well, I had to check up on my drunk mentor to see that he's not causing any trouble." I retort back, sitting down in front of him, daring him to shot another sarcastic remark about my arrival.

"Well? What do you want sweetheart?" He says, getting annoyed at me glaring at him.

"Nothing, I just wanted some company!" I tell him, offended that he thinks I came just because I needed something from him.

"I thought you had Finnick for that." He mutters, taking another swig from his flask. My cheeks burn up instantly, _Seriously Haymitch, you just had to bring that up, didm't you?_

"You know what Haymitch, fine. No company is better than your company anyways." I shout frustrated at his childish manners. _Can't he be civil for just one day?_

I walk back to my house and sleep on the couch, not bothering to go upstairs. Tomorrow I start my Victory Tour, my prep team will be here in a few hours, preparing me for my interviews.

*Time Skip*

The Victory Tour came in a blur, I cried when I had to say a few words in District 11 for Rue and Tresh, said my sorry's to Cato and Marvel's families and offered my condolences for Glimmer and Clove's. It was boring, I didn't get to meet any of the Victors because of my stunt with the berries and the flowers for Rue. Haymitch was surprisingly not as drunk as usual for the Victory Tour and offered me company, he knew what I was going through and was a shoulder to lean on. But soon, I was back in District 12, preparing for the reaping that will take place at noon.

"Relax sweetheart! You look fine!" Haymitch slurs at me, obviously drunk. _That's not what I'm worried about. Are you that drunk to think that I care how I look like for the Capitol?_

"Whatever Haymitch. Let's go. Everyones waiting for us." I drag him up on the stage, sitting down in the mentor's area. Mayor Undersee waves at us and shakes his head disapprovingly at Haymitch's state. I sit back and watch the children line up in front of the Justice Building. _I'm going to mentor one of them. And at least both of them will die because of me. _I try to regain my composure and put on my mask, so that nobody will know what I'm actually thinking and feeling.

"Welcome, welcome!" Effie's voice suddenly booms out of the speakers surrounding the Justice Building. "It is a new year which means another reaping for the 71st Hunger Games! Now before we begin, we have a very special video brought to you directly from the Capitol!" Effie's is cheerful but haunting in a way I think only Victors will understand. Effie takes a step back and watches the video with pure interest. Everyone has seen this video a lot more than we want to, but it is mandatory viewing. I catch Gale's eyes which look at this scene in disgust. Gale was no longer eligible for the games, _One person less to worry about, _I guess. Prim looked nervous, worried that her name will be picked again, twice in a row. I assured her that would not happen but I was secretly, praying and begging to any god up there that her name wouldn't be picked. The video ends and Effie breathes an astounded sigh and laughs.

"Oh , I just love that!" She exclaims to the kids, who I might add look at her in disgust. Effie walks over to the large glass bowl, containing the name of the female tribute.

"Ladies first!" Effie squeals, _probably excited to see who will die next. _I presume, but no Effie was just a misunderstood Capitol person, who doesn't understand how this could be a nightmare for the people in the Districts. The atmosphere drops and it is suddenly dangerously silent. Effie's hand searches slowly and swoops down and picks up a slim piece of white paper between her index finger and her thumb. She trots over to the microphone and announces the name of the female tribute.

"Abby Irvine!" The crowd stirs and makes way for the girl who's name was unfortunately picked by Effie. She was slim, had midnight black hair and blue eyes, her skin was creamy-white similar to Prim's. _She must be from the merchant's side of town. _She walks on stage, her eyes glistening with unshed tears and her body shaking from the nightmare happening in front of her eyes.

"Now for the boys!" Effie walks over to the other large glass bowl, and twirls her hand around, searching for the perfect slip. She finally chooses one and walks over to the microphone.

"Hunter Dawn!" Effie announces, the boy, Hunter, walks up on stage. Hunter has a stocky figure, he reminds me of Peeta in a way. He was definitely muscular, not as muscular as Peeta._ And definitely not as muscular as Finnick_. He, just like his district parter was crying silently and shaking.

"Alright then! Let's give it up for this year's tributes of the 71st Hunger Games!" Effie exclaims into the microphone. But just as usual, nobody claps, but nobody gives the three-finger sign that they gave me last year.

"Well then, that closes this year's reaping. Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" Effie says, with her distinctive cheery and Capitol accent, lingering on her words.

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**AN: I love to hear what you think! Please review! 3K for this chapter, as per your request! Sorry for the lack of Finnick, but he will make an appearance in the upcoming chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So I'm trying out something new by switching from Katniss' POV to Finnick's in one chapter. Tell me how it worked out and what you think in the reviews! **

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Katniss's POV

Once we get on the train, the tributes sit down in the lounge and look at me and Haymitch. Haymitch just takes a bottle of alcohol from the refreshments and plops down on the sofa, next to me.

"So, how old are you guys?" I ask them, there's an awkward suspense in the air, Haymitch is passed out drunk next to me, so he clearly won't be of any help to me and the tributes right now.

"Eighteen" they both answer, giving a small smile to each other when they realize they're the same age. I smile sadly at them, _They're as old as I am and both of them might die. God these games are twisted. _I decided to stop acting so mopey and sad and to start mentoring them, even though we haven't arrived in the Capitol.

"Okay, there's no use in moping around if you want to win." I tell them, _Win? More like survive. _They stand up abruptly and I feel their arms and legs, Abby giggles silently when I touch her waist, _She's ticklish, I suppose._ Hunter just looks at me in awe and blushes when I start to feel around his arms and chest.

"Abby, you have long legs which mean you can run fast and you have delicate fingers, which is good for making snares. You're slim and look flexible so thats another advantage, you probably could climb trees or any sort of fence if you tried. Hunter, you're obviously strong and you'd do good in hand-to-hand combat. I think you would succeed in using any weapons." They both blush at my compliments, Hunter's the first one to speak afterwards.

"Who's going to mentor who?" _Shit, I forgot about that. Well, since Haymitch did a good job on me last time, maybe he'll whip Abby into better shape. _I sigh in frustration, _Seriously Haymitch! Just when I need you, you're passed out!_

"Haymitch will be mentoring Abby and I'll be mentoring you. And don't worry Abby Haymitch is smarter than he looks, most of the time." Abby frowns and looks over at Haymitch, who seems to be mumbling words. Hunter grins at me and sits back down, pleased with the arrangements.

"Okay, just try to get some sleep now. I'm going to bed." I tell them, dragging Haymitch with me. He's now partly awake.

"Sweetheart? What the hell? Don't we need to mentor Effie?" He slurs at me, putting his arms around my shoulders. _Hopeless old drunkard. _

"Just go to sleep Haymitch." I tell him, setting him down on his bed and returning to my quarters. I take a quick shower and change into my night clothes. It's surprisingly cold in my room so I get under the covers and curl into a ball, hoping to get a good night's sleep.

"Katniss! Time to wake up!" Effie practically screeches, I groan and get out of bed. Oddly, I only woke up once last night after falling out of bed from one of my nightmares. I change my clothes after showering and walk into the dining room. Effie, Hunter, Abby and surprisingly, Haymitch who is now sober, are there awaiting for my arrival.

"I know we aren't at the Capitol yet, but I want both of you to train starting from today. Sweetheart and I'll be watching you guys and coming up with strategies for your survival!" Haymitch explains, _Real blunt Haymitch._

"Sweetheart?" Abby asks, _Guess that nickname stuck to Haymitch._

"Yeah, Sweetheart over there." He tells them, pointing at me. I just shrugged, I've gotten used to weird nicknames; Catnip, Sweetheart and Spitfire. After breakfast we got Hunter and Abby to do 50 pushups while Haymitch timed them. I just stood there and watched them. Out of nowhere the train screeches to a halt, everyone else but me were sitting down and I flew back to the wall and hit my head. My vision blurred and I could hear people fussing about, but before I knew it, my vision blacked out.

"Katniss? Are you okay?" I hear a muffled voice ask me. I moan in pain, clutching my head. I open my eyes to meet Hunter's blue eyes, he was looking down at me, turns out my head was on his lap.

"What happened?" I ask him, Haymitch suddenly comes over beside me and hugs me, I can hear Hunter growl at the sight of me and Haymitch hugging so I pull aways and sit up.

"Jeez sweetheart, I thought you were dead!" He chuckles lightly and pats my shoulder. "The train hit something and you fell and hit your head. The train's already resumed moving but you blacked out for a few minutes." Haymitch explains, I look over his shoulder to search for Abby.

"Yeah well I'm fine now." I tell him, giving him and Hunter a stern look to stop babying me. Haymitch guffaws and stands up, pulling me up with him. I find Abby sitting down near the door, looking at us with her eyebrows raised with confusion. Haymitch tells Hunter and Abby to take a break, and despite Hunter's complains, Haymitch takes me to my room and sets me on the bed.

"Looks like I'm going to babysit you again Sweetheart." Haymitch says, laughing lightly as he puts an ice pack over my head. I moan in pain, _Why am I always the one getting injured? _

"It looks like Hunter has a crush on you." Haymitch informs me, _Does it look like I care? He's just starstruck that the famous Katniss Everdeen was in front of him._ I just shrug, not caring, and just continued to play with Haymitch's hair. He takes another swig of his alcohol, which was normal for Haymitch, _normal. I like normal. _Haymitch feeds me porridge and gives me sleep syrup so that I can fall asleep and get better. He sleeps next to me, to make sure I don't fall out of bed and hit my head again. _Because I'm just prone to accidents and injuries._ I think to myself, when I start drifting off to sleep with Haymitch snoring lightly next to me.

Finnick's POV

_It's been a few months since I've seen Katniss. She never called me, which was disappointing to me but she did just lose Peeta and she's still coping so that would be unfair for me to blame her for this. _I start walking out of the dining room, my tributes this year look promising, the girl's slim and has blonde hair and green eyes and the boy is sturdy with bronze hair and brown boy looks a bit entrancing and handsome and the girl is pretty, _but she's the typical kind of pretty, not like my Katniss. Fuck it. I'm gonna call her train. _I walk up to the phone in the living room and dial District 12's phone number for their train.

"Hello?" A boy's voice rings out. _Must be the male tribute from their district_.

"Hi, it's Finnick Odair. Is Katniss there?" I ask him, hoping Katniss will take the phone from him soon and talk to me. The boy growls when I mention Katniss, _He doesn't like her does he?_

"Katniss is currently unavailable, but Effie's here." I hear him practically growl at me and give the phone to Effie Trinket.

"Oh my, Finnick Odair! What a pleasure to hear from you. What seems to be the problem, if I may ask?" She squeals at me with her thick Capitol accent.

"Can I speak to Katniss?" I ask her,_ god where is Katniss?_

"Oh, Katniss?" She starts, probably shocked that I asked her about the fiery victor, "She fell a few hours ago and injured herself." Effie explains to me. _What! Katniss! Shit, is she okay?_

"Is she okay? What is she doing now?" I start to panic but try to regain my composure. _If anything happens to her, I don't think I could bear losing her after Annie. God, stop it Finnick. She's not even yours._

"Oh yes, she's perfectly fine. Haymitch is nursing her back to health. She's actually sleeping with him right now!" She chirps back at me, _WHAT! Haymitch? That old fucker! _

"Oh my! My apologies! I didn't mean that Katniss is sleeping with him but she's just sleeping together on her bed!" Effie fumbles out, obviously embarrassed from saying that. _Oh so when I sleep with Katniss it's wrong. Jeez, who else is out for her?_ I can hear myself growl at Effie's explanation.

"Thanks for the information Effie." I tell her, gritting my teeth together. "Tell Haymitch I said hi and tell Katniss to call me okay?" I ask her, still pissed at Haymitch. _Calm down Finnick, Haymitch is just helping Katniss get back to being healthy._

"Of course! Goodbye Finnick!" Effie sings out and closes the line. I walk back to my room and think about the upcoming games.

"Hey Finnick? The recaps are on now." My male tribute, Luke, informs me.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." _Probably going to miss District 1 and 2's reapings but Mags should be there right now. _I sigh and walk back to the living room, the TV screen showed District 7's reapings, Johanna was there, her hair cut short and dyed black with purple highlights. _God, did I miss out on that much?_ I sit back and watch the other reapings, but what catches my eyes are District 12's reaping. Katniss sat next to Haymitch, looking radiant as ever in her simple red dress and when Hunter walks onto stage, I see Katniss eyeing him carefully and Hunter glancing at her. _That's the boy that was on the other end of the phone. He's the one with the crush on Katniss. _I feel a pang of jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks, I sigh and continue watching. Haymitch looks drunk as ever and was leaning onto the mayor's shoulder. The frail girl who was standing next to Hunter looks weak, S_he's probably going to die in the bloodbath. Poor Katniss, her first tribute to mentor, and she gets one like her. Wow, Katniss' right, I do sound like a jerk. _I just shake my head and go back to my room and sleep, _probably the last night of sleep, I'll be busy working at night in the Capitol. _I think to myself in disgust, _Snow sure is one twisted fucker._

Katniss' POV

"Sweetheart, wake up! You sure love your sleep don't you?" Haymitch says, nudging shoulder and attempting to shake my to get me to wake up. _Already with your sour remarks Haymitch?_ I groan and stretch my arms and legs, _God how long have I been asleep?_

"Come one, Effie's already nagging me to get you up for breakfast. And yes, I'm drunk, so leave me be." He tells me and leaves me so I can get dressed. I take a shower, choosing the buttons that will make me smell minty, _like how Finnick smells, wait why am I thinking of him? Shit! I never got to call him. Oh well._ I dry myself and dress in a blue dress that goes up to my knees, I tie my hair in a messy side braid and walk into the dining room to get breakfast. Abby is eating cheese buns, _like what Peeta used to make,_ I think to myself. Hunter is drinking lemonade juice and talking to Haymitch about someone.

"No, Odair called yesterday." He tells Haymitch. _Odair? Finnick called? _I decide to pretend that I didn't hear that and get some eggs from an avox, thanking them. I munch on my eggs slowly while eavesdropping on Hunter and Haymitch's conversation.

"What? Why did Fishboy call here?" Haymitch asks him, still a bit tipsy.

"He wanted to talk to your sweetheart over there." He says, eyeing me suspiciously. Effie overhears them talking about Finnick's call and adds in.

"Oh I almost forgot! Katniss, Finnick Odair called yesterday and said he wanted to talk to you, he told me to tell you to call him back!" She tells me, giggling like a teenage girl and blushing when she says Finnick's name. I roll my eyes, _Capitol people._

"Oh and he said to tell you hi Haymitch." Effie adds in, before sighing and going back to writing on her schedule book. Haymitch grunts and rolls his eyes and whispers to Hunter. _What's up with them?_ I walk to the phone and press redial, so that the phone would call Finnick's phone on the train. I wait for someone to pick up, but nobody does so after a while I put the phone down and walk back and sit with Abby.

"So, we arrive at the Capitol in a few minutes. How are you feeling?" I ask her, I know she's scared out of her wits, but I want to see if she lies to me.

"Scared. Confused. Worried. I don't really know what to feel right now. Were you this scared?" She asks me, looking up. I can see her cheeks damp with tears. I hug her and rub her back soothingly, _When did I become such a mother?_

"Hey, it's going to be okay. I'll try and make this easier for you and Hunter. I had Peeta, he kept me distracted from the fact that I might die, you have Hunter, talk to him. And when you get there, just follow your stylist's directions. They know what to do to make you gain sponsors." I tell her with a wink playfully, she giggles softly so I take it she feels better.

"Thanks Katniss." She hugs me, and I sigh, _What am I going to do with the both of you?_ She pulls back and we both leave the train and head out to the Training Centre. I see the tributes and a few victors are already there, Haymitch runs up to a man, who looks like he's around Haymitch's age and is drunk, much to his companion's dismay. The woman beside him just looks at him disapprovingly but softens her glare when she meets my eyes.

"Sweetheart, this is Chaff," Haymitch tells me, gesturing to the dark-skinned man, "and this is Seeder from District 11." He gestures to the woman next to Chaff, _District 11. Rue. _Seeder gives me a warm smile and hugs me and Chaff walks up to me and kisses me sloppily on the lips. I jerk back, enraged that he kissed me, _Who does he think he is, kissing me like that?_

"Sorry sweetheart, you could say Chaff is a bit too-friendly." Haymitch guffaws at my reaction towards the kiss, _You can say that again Hay._ Cinna and Portia both greet me and Haymitch. Cinna hugs me and tells me how much he misses me and takes away Hunter while Portia takes Abby. I turn my back on them and continue listening to Haymitch and Chaff's drunken conversation when a pair of tan arms slide around my waist. _What the hell? _I look back to find the owner of the arms and find Finnick smiling smugly.

"Miss me, Girl on Fire?" Finnick purrs, sending goosebumps all over my body. _You wish._

"It's not me who can't keep their hands to themselves." I retort back, turning to meet his eyes. Finnick chuckles and retracts his hands away from my waist._ I miss the warmth of his arms around me, and I've got to admit, I did miss him a bit. _

"Oh Girl on Fire, I missed you more than I thought I would." Finnick says, plopping another sugar cube into his mouth. He crunches them with his pearly white teeth and smile at me seductively. _What is it with this man and sugarcubes? _I scoff lightly, and hear Haymitch ordering me to sit in the mentor's area for the Opening Ceremony. I follow Haymitch, Chaff and Seeder with Finnick beside me, _doesn't he have another mentor from his district?_ I shake my head to ignore the question and sit down beside Finnick. Capitol citizens were already occupying the seats opposite to the mentor's area, their colourful clothing, bright and flashy. I sigh and the lights dim when the first chariot comes up. _District 1. _The tributes looked muscular and alert, _Careers. _District 2 comes up and receives the normal cheering given, and Districts 3 to 11 are ignored. When Hunter and Abby comes out, my heart flutters a bit. They were glowing and not only that, they were catching people's attentions just like I had in my games. _One of them might live. There's a possibility they can come back. _They show up, glowing with a fiery coat over their capes and looking desirable, _I need to thank Cinna and Portia for making my job as a mentor slightly easier._ Finnick growls when he notices my strong gaze on Hunter and Abby. _What's up with him?_ Hunter looks deadly, his grey eyes, glaring at the crowd and his blonde hair, looking slightly ruffled with what I think is ash. Abby looks somehow sexy, her midnight black hair curled and she has eyeliner to make her blue eyes look even bigger. _That'll get her some sponsors. _All of the district chariots stop in a form of a circle and Snow does a speech which is repeated every year. The mentors go back to the main hall, where the tributes are with their chariots and stylists.

"You both were great! That was a great show for the sponsors!" I exclaim, hugging Abby and kissing Hunter's cheek. Hunter blushes at the contact and I hug Cinna.

"Thank you." I whisper into his ear, he chuckles and pats my back. _I don't think I can go through this without him. _Finnick was surprisingly still here, glaring at Hunter from my side. I nudge his side and glare at him so that he would stop it. He just growls at me and goes away to find Mags, the other district mentor, and his tributes. _What's gotten into him today?_

"Okay, why don't we all get back to our apartment and have dinner?" Effie asks us, in her usual chirpy manner. Everyone nods and goes up to the penthouse and sits around the table. The avoxes serve us with a huge amount of food, _enough to feed District 12 for 3 days._ It's silent aside from the occasional chatter from the stylists and Effie. Haymitch raises his eyebrows at me, noticing my discomfort. Hunter sees our exchange and decides to chip in the conversation.

"So Katniss, how's Gale?" he asks, stabbing his chicken leg with his silver fork. _Gale. _My stomach turns a bit at the mention of his name and I wince.

"He's fine." I reply coldly, sending Hunter a glare so that he would stop this conversation. He doesn't seem to understand and keeps the conversation flowing. _Please don't. _

"I never see you guys together anymore. What happened? Lover's spat?" He adds, chuckling lightly before glancing up at me. _Stop it._

"No, we're just friends." I say, _more like siblings. _"And what's wrong with that? You're starting to act like Finnick." I mutter to him, tired of his questions. _Shit, why did I mention Finnick?_

"Finnick? As in Odair? What's up with you and he?" Hunter asks me, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. _God, butt out._

"We're barely even friends. Now if you'll excuse me. I think I'll go shower and sleep." I announce to nobody in particular. Everyone nods and Cinna send me an apologetic smile which I return sadly. _Why is everyone so concerned with my friendship with Finnick? Ha, friendship. Good one, Katniss. You've slept with the man. _I shake the thoughts from my head and climb into bed, not bothering to change my clothes. _Oh well, my prep team will hose me down tomorrow anyways. Why bother? _And with that darkness starts to overcome me and I fall asleep.

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**AN: Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate it because I can improve my writing from there! Please tell me what you think of this chapter, and sorry if you don't like it. Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I'm trying to update the story everyday and make the chapter's longer, as per your request! 4K in this chapter! Please review! It means the world to me and tell me what you like or dislike or what you want to see in this story!**

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"Up, up, up!" Effie chirps from the other side of my door, "It's a-" She starts, _Ugh seriously Effie?_

"It's a big, big day. Yeah yeah, I know Effie!" I mutter loudly at her, she giggles and tells me to dress up for breakfast. _Capitol people and their early schedules. _I groan and look at my clock, it says in bold letters 8.00 A.M. _I need more sleep. _I lazily stalk off into the bathroom and turn the shower on. I undress myself and walk under the shower head. I hiss when the ice-cold water hits my skin, _Damn it. _I adjust the temperature using the high-tech Capitol buttons and choose a soft-scented body wash and stay there for a few minutes. After a while, I feel my fingers have wrinkled for being soaked for so long, so I turn the water off and dry myself. I choose to dress simply, using a white button up shirt, black pants and brush my hair.

"NO, YOU'RE JUST BEING AN UNSUPPORTIVE ASSHOLE!" I hear a deep and husky shout from the living room. _Hunter? What a great way to start of the day._ Hunter was shooting daggers to Haymitch from across the table and Abby was whimpering quietly, _what the hell did they do to her?_

"What the hell is wrong with the both of you?" I ask Hunter and Haymitch, protectively throwing an arm over Abby's shoulder and rubbing circles onto her back.

"Why don't you ask Haymitch over there?" Hunter says, glaring at Haymitch. _If looks could kill._ Haymitch just grunts and takes another swig from his flask. _Its 8 and he's already drinking? Well fuck. _

"You two need to stop acting childish!" I say, exasperated. "I know he's not your mentor but you need to respect him. He actually won his games. You maybe won't." I yell harshly at Hunter. _I am so sick of him being so dramatic and self-centred, and Haymitch wasn't helping at all with being drunk._ I take Haymitch's flask and throw it to the garbage.

"Hey! I was drinking that!" Haymitch slurs. _Me and my drunk mentor._ I sigh and grab a pitch of ice-cold water and pour it over his head.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" He shouts, almost ready to pounce at me. _So now are you able to act civilly?_

"Waking you up so you can mentor." I tell him and shove him into his room. _That ought to teach you a lesson Hay. Please be sober when you come back. I hope he doesn't have another flask stashed in his room. Good lord help me._

"Well then, let's go to the training floor so you can start your first day of training!" Effie tells Hunter and Abby, who look anxious and hesitant.

"Just focus on the survival skills now. Hunter show off your strengths and Abby hide them. This'll make the careers shocked. I think you both can have a better chance of survival using this strategy." I tell them, they just nod and with that they go down with Effie. _Who knew mentoring could be so hard? _I sigh and plop down the couch in the living room. I turn on the big TV in the middle of the room and flip through the channels.

"Brutus and Enobaria talk about their tribute!"

"Lucy! I love you!"

"The 71st Hunger Games!"

"Several videos have resurfaced of Finnick Odair, Victor of the 65th Hunger Games apparently staring at Katniss Everdeen, Victor of the 71st Hunger Games!" _What! Finnick was staring at me?_ Curiosity takes over me and I decide not to change the channel. _Why would he stare at me, some girl from District 12?_ Pictures are shown on the screen of Finnick staring at me in the Opening Ceremony of my games, rather than looking at his tributes. Then there's a video where he intently watches my interview with Caesar and another of him choking and emitting a low growl when Peeta announces his love for me. _Just like in the Opening Ceremony this year. When I kissed Hunter's cheeks. _

"Haymitch! Give the girl some damn water!" Finnick shouts to Haymitch in a video, when I was dehydrated and looking for water in my games. _Doesn't he want his tribute to win?_

"NO KATNISS RUN!" Finnick practically yells, jumping out of his seat when the TV shows me getting jumped by a mutt. I realize he's shirtless and I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks. _Why am I blushing? I've seen Peeta and Gale shirtless countless times, what makes Finnick any different?_

The screen changes to a video of two Capitol men sitting on a red plush sofa. They look like Caesar, wearing a yellow and purple suit and their hair coloured.

"Well, it certainly looks like Finnick has a crush on our newest victor!" The man in the yellow suit starts. _Crush? On me? I think it's the other way around. No, I mean. Why would he have a crush on me?_

"He certainly is fond of Ms. Everdeen." The other man tells the audience. The audience goes crazy, cheering and some whining. I blush at his comment and start to fidget with the hem of my button-up shirt.

"Now all we need to find out is if the lovely Katniss Everdeen is returning these feelings to Finnick or not!" The man says chuckling, the audience laughs along with him. I start to get uneasy, _What will Haymitch think? What about Prim? And Gale? Gale. He just admitted his love to me and soon found out that we cant be together because we're siblings. And now he's going to have to handle the rumours of me and 'Playboy Odair'? It keeps getting better and better doesn't it?_

"Stay tuned folks! The interviews for the 71st Hunger Games will be aired in 3 days! Happy Hunger Games!" The man in the purple suit says, and with that the show ends. I turn off the TV and decide to go take a nap. When I wake up, Hunter and Abby are already finished with training and are sleeping after eating dinner. _Guess I skipped dinner._ I decide to go back to sleep, seeing that no one is telling me to do otherwise.

The next few days go along quite fast, Hunter and Abby were constantly training and Haymitch was sober most of the time and kept me company. We usually just sat together and talked about the strategies we were planning to use for the tributes to increase their chance of survival. I haven't talked to Finnick since the Opening Ceremony. _I wish he would come and see me. Why am I always stressing about Finnick? Focus Katniss. You're in charge of two kids who might die in the arena in a few days! No time for thinking about Finnick. Why should I think about him anyway? Oh right the TV show thing. I should ask him about that, no Katniss focus! _Today the tributes have their private training sessions and Hunter and Abby have to really surprise and please the game makers to get a good score to gain sponsors.

"Both of you show them your strength and be brutal, the game makers love brutality, it's what got me a high training score last time." I chuckle at the memory, Haymitch's eyes go wide and he laughs loudly making the tributes confused. Haymitch decides to leave us alone muttering about sleep and the tributes just shrug and go down to the their private training sessions. _Don't screw this up. Please don't screw this up._ I jump a little when the elevator door opens, showing a very handsome- _No. He's not handsome._ Showing a very cocky and cheeky Finnick Odair.

"Hey Kat. Miss me?" Finnick says, walking towards me. Without my acknowledgement, my feet start running up to him and I fling myself at him. _I miss his scent, the warmth of his body. The cheeky grin he has, the smug look on his face when he says something inappropriate. I don't even know when I started to notice these things, but I don't care. As long as Finnick's here. _Finnick chuckles and hugs me back, he inhales my scene and kisses the top of my head.

"I missed you so much." I tell him, not caring how I sound. _It's true after all. I did miss him. _

"I missed you too." He tells me, I can't help but notice the sudden flutter of my heart, and a grin plasters itself onto my face as I nuzzle my head into the crook of his my head starts to comprehend our position and level of intimacy, I immediately pull back, blushing furiously at my stupid and typical-girly actions. _Ugh, I'm starting to be like those Capitol women that adore him. _Finnick pouts and pulls me towards him by the waist, grinning at our close proximity.

"Where have you been?" He asks, playing with a strand of my hair, his other arm still around my waist. _Can he feel my heart pounding?_

"Here with Haymitch." I tell him, he growls and pulls back. _Here it comes. Brace yourself Katniss._

"Right, Haymitch and Hunter right?" He tells me, spitting out with so much venom. _Why is he acting like this AGAIN? I thought maybe he was just in a bad mood in the Opening Ceremony but now this is getting annoying._

"What's your problem with Hunter? He's a nice person! He just wants to survive just like you and me. You don't see me complaining about any of your tributes and district mentor! Haymitch is helping me cope and teaching me how to mentor, he's like my father! Hunter's my tribute and I'm his mentor. You can't blame me for wanting to be with him every second out of training. I want him to win and to come back Finn!" _Finn? When did I start calling him Finn? _Finnick apparently doesn't notice and still has a scowl on his face. _He's really acting childish. What's his problem anyway? Hunter never did anything wrong!_

"Are you that oblivious Kat? Hunter has a crush on you!" He's fuming now. _Wait, Haymitch mentioned this on the train. He doesn't like me. _Just as I was about to respond to that, Finnick cuts me off.

"Nevermind Kat. I'm sorry. I just haven't got that much sleep and now that I'm in the Capitol, I've gotten more appointments to attend to." Finnick tells me, choosing his words carefully and looking at me with eyes full of sorrow. I feel like crying in front of him right now but why would I. _He's the one forced to do prostitution by Snow, not me. _I hug him and stroke the ends of his hair on the back of his neck. He relaxes into my touch and hugs me back. _Maybe I can't do anything but I can help him cope and be his friend. Friend. Yes, Katniss. I need to focus on other stuff like Hunter and Abby. He surely also has a girlfriend back in District Four. But that shouldn't be any of my concern cause we're just friends. _

"Thanks Kat. Let's go watch the score announcement. Mags is already downstairs aon our floor. Can I stay here until the interviews?" He asks, pushing his bottom lip out, pouting to look like a kid. I giggle and nod, leading him to the plush sofa's in the living room. We sit next to each other in a love seat, and soon everyone arrives glancing at our close proximity then taking a seat somewhere. Hunter and Haymitch arrive last, both look at me and Finnick suspiciously then looking at each other before taking a seat furthest away. The screen lights up and Caesar is on the screen and announcing the tributes scores. District 1 both get a 9, and District 2 get a 9 and a 10. District 3 both get 6 and District 4 get a 10 and a 9. Everyone in the room glances at Finnick who just wraps an arm around my shoulders. I lean into his warm touch, and sit back.

"Congratulations." I whisper to him, waiting patiently for the rest of the scores.

"Thanks." Finnick says, looking at me and turning back to face the TV screen.

District 5 and 6 all get a score of 5. The girl from 7 receives a score of 7 and the boy gets a 8. _Well, Johanna at least won't be too disappointed with the scores. _District 8 to 11 all get an average score of 6 but one skinny girl received a 4. _Poor girl. She doesn't even stand a chance against the other tributes, let alone the careers. _Then it's District 12's turn. Abby's name and picture shows and Caesar Flickerman announces her score.

"Abby Irvine with a score of 7!" Caesar announces, I gasp, happy with the outcome. _That might not be a very high number, but we can use that for sponsors! The careers won't even target her cause of her average score. _

"Congratulations Abby." I tell her, trying to sound formal. I give up at the end and give her a playful wink which she responds by giggling. I hear Haymitch pat her on the shoulder and congratulate her. After that, Hunter's name and picture is shown and Caesar announces his score.

"Hunter Dawn with a score of," He looks down at his paper, his eyes go wide for a moment. "8!" I jump up with joy, and hug Hunter. Finnick doesn't seem to be too pleased but I ignore him for a moment. I congratulate Hunter and go back to my seat next to Finnick. He wraps his arm around my waist protectively. _Why is he being so protective? We're just friends after all. Maybe he think Hunter's going to hurt me. He's just concerned in a brotherly kind of way. _Hunter glances curiously at Finnick's gesture and gets up with Abby and Effie, _probably going to get ready for the interviews tonight. _I just sigh and lean against Finnick, glad that the private training sessions are over. _It's not even my personal training sessions and I'm stressing over it. _Cinna tells me its time to change into my outfit for my interview with Caesar for Hunter, _Apparently it is compulsory for mentors to do an interview with Caesar Flickerman for their tribute. _Finnick bids me goodbye and tells me that he'll wait for me outside the elevator. Cinna and the prep team bring me to Beauty Base Zero, which generally is stripping off any remainder of hair on my body. They paint my nails red with little flames into them, _Bringing back the Girl on Fire_, I think to myself. Confirming my suspicions, Cinna comes in bringing a dress in orange and red. He puts me in it, curls my hair and does my makeup. Cinna decides to give me the smoky eye look, using eyeliner to make my eyes look bigger and more fiery than ever. He gives me red heels that are covered by the dress, and turns on the power switch. I try walking in it and whenever I do, small flames flicker at the hem of the dress.

"Cinna, it looks beautiful." I say, hugging him tightly. _How do you do it Cinna? I will never understand._

"Thanks, now don't ruin your hair." He chuckles and sprays hairspray on my hair so it doesn't get messed up. He escorts me to the ground floor where Finnick is waiting for me outside of the elevator, just like he said he would. He's in black pants and a white button up shirt, the first 2 buttons opened revealing his tan chiseled chest. He eyes me up and down with his mouth hanging open, _I don't look to over the top do I?_

"Katniss, you look beautiful. I think I have the most beautiful date this evening." He tells me, winking and looping his hands with mines. _Date? When did I agree to that?_ He chuckles and purrs huskily into my ear, "You will be my date right?" I feel myself shudder from his warm breath that touches the side of my neck.

"Sure Finnick." I tell him happily, we make our way backstage getting ready for our interviews. Finnick is interviewed before me, Caesar asks him about his district and how he has changed. He then asks Finnick about his tribute and how he think his tribute will do in the games. _It's the basic standard questions. You won't mess up too badly. _When Finnick finishes his interview, he tell's me he'll be in the mentor's area in the audience. _Thanks for leaving me Finn. _Soon, my name is called by Caesar and it's my turn for the interviews. _Breathe Katniss, you can do this. You've already done this before. _

"Welcoming her back on stage, Katniss Everdeen, The Girl on Fire!" Caesar welcomes me, shaking my hand and offering me a seat. I sit down and cross my legs, waiting for Caesar to ask me questions.

"So Katniss, how does it feel being a victor?" Caesar asks me.

"It feels weird, I used to be so worried and my main goal was to feed Prim, my baby sister but now I don't have to worry about that thanks to the generosity of the President and the Capitol." I tell them, flashing my most Capitol smile, _my most fake one too. _The crowd roars and claps for me. Caesar asks me about Hunter and how he got an 8 which is a very good score from an outlying district, despite my higher score last year. Then after a few question, Caesar asks me the jaw dropping question.

"I know we're supposed to be talking about Hunter but I need to ask you this. Katniss, I don't know if you've seen it. But there have been videos of Finnick Odair staring at you in your games that have resurfaced." He tells me, laughing his usual laugh. The screen behind me plays the video's that I saw on the TV show and I blush again. _Since when do I blush? God, I must look like an idiot. _Caesar coughs, to regain the audience's and my attention.

"So I think the question everyone's dying to know is, do you feel the same way?" Caesar asks me. _Shit. What do I say?_ I look for Cinna in the crowd but my eye catches Finnick. _Wait why am I looking at him._ My blush darkens along with the embarrassment growing more and more in the pit of my stomach. Finnick winks at me and I glare at him, my mouth partly agape. _Is he seriously winking at a time like this._ Caesar seems to have notice the exchange between me and Finnick, along with the camera crew. They replay the video of me glaring at Finnick when he winks at me.

"Well, he certainly does like you Katniss! And how can I blame him? You do look ravishing in that dress. But what do you say? Do you return these feelings?" He pressures me to answer and with that the buzzer goes off.

"Oh, sorry Caesar looks like the time is up." I sadly tell him, pouting. He suspiciously looks at me and dismisses me.

"Let's give it up for the Girl on Fire!" He roars into his microphone, the sound of his voice booming from the speakers. I twirl for the crowd and go backstage and make my way to the mentor's area for viewing the interviews. I find Haymitch waving at me, I walk towards him and sit in-between him and Finnick. _How come Haymitch didn't have to do an interview? Maybe he already did before me. _

"Hey Kat, interesting interview." Finnick teases, I shoot a glare at him meant to intimidate him but he just laughs. Haymitch, who's sober, guffaws next to me. I just sigh and slump down my seat hoping the interviews would go faster. Without me noticing, the interviews go on pretty fast, I missed Districts 1 till 6 already and talked with Finnick and Haymitch all through the rest until its District 12's turn. I feel myself stiffen when Abby comes on stage, she's in an aqua-blue dress, with ruffles which makes her look so much younger. She plays a bubbly act and tells Caesar about her family and that she loves to volunteer for the orphanage in our district. Hunter on the other hand looks handsome, his hair is brushed back and he's wearing a black suit. Portia did a good job cleaning him up, he now looks well-groomed and his eyes have a determined look in them. _Now he's determined to come back to his loved ones._ I laugh when I see him charming and joking around with Caesar, _He'll have no problem gaining sponsors, _I think to myself.

Finnick's POV

_I don't know why I'm so jealous of Hunter, there's a big chance he's going to die anyway. I know I sound like a jerk, but I can't stand looking at anyone having any sort of intimacy with Katniss. The urge to pull them apart from each other when she kisses his cheek and hugs him is sometimes to hard to ignore. Stop being overprotective Finnick, she's not even yours_. I sigh, looking at the dark-haired beauty sitting next to me. Hunter's still onstage talking to Caesar when he say's he has a girlfriend back home. _What!_ I glance at Katniss, who looks unfazed by his announcement. _I guess she knew. Wow Finnick, you're an absolute idiot. Why were you so stressed out anyway? _I grin and sigh, completely relieved that Hunter did not have a crush on Katniss, Haymitch already explained that he is only a fatherly figure to Katniss, nothing more so now all my competition is gone. _No, there's the cousin. What's his name? Gabe? Gale! That's it. _I frown but Katniss nudges me and pulls me up, _Must've missed the rest of the interview. _

"Hey, what's wrong? You zoned out in the middle of Hunter's interview." Katniss tells me, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. I chuckle and bring her closer to me, pulling her by the waist.

"Nothing's wrong now." I smile and kiss her cheek. _I hope this doesn't freak her out. Kat, if only you knew the urge to kiss you square on those pink luscious lips of yours right now. It's so tempting. But I'll wait and take it slow for you. _I hear Katniss giggle and I walk into the elevator and punch the number 12 number. Everybody's gone and it's just me and Katniss left.

"So, the Hunger Games start tomorrow," I start off nervously, searching for any sign of confusion or anger in her face, but there is none.

"I know. Finn, I'm scared for them." She finally admits, _Oh Katniss, the first year's always the hardest. _She hugs me and I know she's silently crying so I just hold her hands and rub circles on the back of her hand while hugging her back. _I can't stand seeing you like this Kat._ When the elevator door opens, I feel Katniss jump a little in shock. I chuckle and bring her to her room, I kiss her forehead and leave her room when I hear Katniss whimper.

"Finnick?" She asks, silently. When I look back she's already in her white shirt and some shorts. _She looks cute like that, _I think cheekily. I cock my eyebrows, questioning her.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I don't think I can face the nightmares alone." She whimpers, _Oh Kat. What are you doing to me?_

"I'll do anything for you Firegirl." I say seductively, my lips curling into a smirk. It's not the first time Katniss and I slept on the same bed and it's not that weird. We both seem to find it more comfortable and easier to face the dreams. I slip of my shirt and take off my pants so that I'm in my boxers and go under the covers. I find Katniss's body and she snuggles into my chest. I chuckle and she nuzzles further into the crook of my neck. _I don't think I'll be able to see you cry when the games start. _I softly stroke her hair and kiss her forehead. _Goodnight Kat. Sweet dreams._

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**AN: Sorry if you don't like it! Review please! Review = Sugar cubes from Finnick**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you all for the reviews! They make my day! I seriously love it when you guys leave a review for me to read, they improve my writing and tell me what I did right or wrong. Please review! Tell me what you liked or didn't like and feel free to leave ideas on what you guys hope to see in the upcoming chapters, if I like them then maybe I'll incorporate the ideas into the upcoming chapters! Anyways, here's chapter 7!**

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I wake up to see Katniss snuggled up against me and my arms around her waist, _Even when she's sleeping she looks beautiful. _I peck her nose, which she scrunches up and I chuckle lightly. _Shit, I think she's starting to wake up. _I watch her intently, brushing off a strand of loose hair covering her face. Katniss groans and nuzzles her head against my chest, _You just love sleep don't you Kat?_

"Kat? Hey, it's time to wake up." I coo into her ear softly, running the tips of my fingers up and down her arm. She shivers lightly and opens her eyes, giving me access to look at her beautiful fiery gray eyes.

"What are you looking at?" She asks me, stretching her limbs our from sleep. _She doesn't know the affect she has on people._

"Nothing. Let's go, the Hunger Games start soon. And I don't think Effie would like to wake you up to see me shirtless next to you." I tell her with a wink, _I don't want Effie to see us,not to mention Haymitch. God I think he'll might just castrate me if he sees me like this with her. _She laughs and gets up from bed and goes into the bathroom to shower. _Does she expect me to wait? Oh well, my tributes probably aren't even awake yet. _Katniss walks into the room, dressed in a fiery red dress that hugs all her curves in all the right places.

"Do you want to shower?" Kat asks me, throwing her towel in my direction, which I catch midair. I nod to her and go into the bathroom and strip off my boxers. _The room smells like her. Sounds weird but I think I might be addicted to her scent. _I turn on the water and press a button which makes the soap that smells like the sea, _I've had been in the Capitol for so long, I had the pleasure to play around with all the buttons and find one that makes me smell like the sea._ I also pour conditioner onto my hair and wash it off. I dry myself using Katniss' towel and dress myself in the clothes I had on yesterday. _Shit! I didn't tell Mags! Ugh. Oh, I'll just tell her I had a sudden appointment. _I leave the bathroom and find Katniss, trying to zip up the zipper at the back of her dress, so I walk over and zip it up, zipping it as slowly as possible.

"Thanks. Now come on, let's get breakfast." She says, tugging my hand so that I follow her. _If only I could wake up to her everyday, instead of those Capitol women. _I chuckle and let her lead me to the dining room where I could see everyone's assembled and eating. Hunter, Abby and Haymitch seem to be in the middle of a deep conversation while the stylists and Effie talk about the newest trends in the Capitol. Everyone looks up and say "Good morning!" to me and Katniss, which we just nod in reply. I sit next to Kat at the very end of the table, not conversing with anyone else but each other. We sit in comfortable silence, Katniss dipping her bread rolls into her hot chocolate while I eat my eggs and bread.

"Fishboy, shouldn't you be on your floor with oh I don't know. Mags? Your tributes?" He asks me sarcastically. _How does Katniss put up with this?_

"I was gonna go there last night but someone convinced me to do other wise." I tell him, looking over and winking at Katniss. Her cheeks almost instantly turn pink and I've got to say, _It looks pretty cute on her. _

"Before you shout and try to murder me, I was there to comfort her and help her sleep through the night. And as much as I hate it, we did not do anything." I look over at Katniss, who now looked really interested in her heels, her cheeks were still red and she did not dare to look up at Haymitch. I chuckle and stand up, kissing Katniss' cheek.

"As much as I would love to stay with you and chat. I need to start to act like a mentor. I'll see you later gorgeous, oh and good luck Abby and Hunter!" I shout to them, walking over to the elevator and I punch the number 4.

"Finnick Odair knows my name!" I hear a girly voice say followed by a squeal. I groan, I always got attention from girls when I want or when I don't want it. It's inevitable. _But now when I want someone's attention, that being Katniss', it's so hard for me to just get that. Maybe that's one of the reasons I look up to her. She doesn't give a shit about who you are and your reputation, she'll be the judge of who you are to her and if you're decent enough to be her friend. _

"There you are!" Cecilia, my district escort, screeches while pulling me out of the elevator. _She's stronger than she looks. _She starts to complain about my tardiness and why I was gone for the night without telling anyone and starts fussing about with my messy hair. _It doesn't feel the same way when Katniss does it. I long for her hands in my hair, playing with the ends on the back of my neck. _I shudder involuntarily at the memory, Lucinda doesn't notice and pulls me to meet Luke, my tribute for the last time. Luke looks anxious and his hands are sweating profusely, _he's acting just like I was before my games._

"You can win this Luke. Did you make an alliance with the careers?" I ask him, _he'll have a better chance surviving with them, but he still needs to be alert with them as well. _He nods so I continue, "Good. Be alert on all times, you're in the alliance but that doesn't mean they're going to play fair on their end of the alliance. Just stay safe. I'll take care of the sponsors and send you things if they're crucial for your survival. And Luke can I ask you for a favour?" I ask him, my eyes pleading him to do this for me. "Don't be the one to kill the tributes from 12." I tell him sternly, he nods in understanding. _He knows I care about Katniss, probably hears me mumbling her name in my sleep. I don't want him to be the one to kill them, Katniss would hate me and I don't know if she'll ever trust me again. _I hug Luke one more time and pat his back, "Don't tear up. It won't send a good image to the careers." I whisper, and ruffle his hair. _He's 16 and there's a possibility he's going to die. _I wave when he get's on his hovercraft and make my way into the mentor's lounge. _There's nothing for me to do know other than sit back and watch. _There are large red sofa's circling around the big screen and a bar at the back of the room. The screen is divided into 25 sections, the largest and main section showing the Hunger Games, everything that the Capitol and Districts will see and 24 smaller sections underneath it, showing each tributes whereabouts and progress. There's also another screen next to it, showing the map of the arena and where the tributes are. I walk over to one of the sofas and sit down crossing my legs, Brutus and Enobaria are sitting down near the bar with Chaff and Seeder. Johanna is shouting and swearing at Blight, who seem like he didn't care. There are some other mentors but I can't seem to find Haymitch and Katniss. _Where the hell are they?_ The door flies open, Haymitch walks in and goes straight to the bar with Katniss following him, her head down in dismay. She looks up when Haymitch whispers something to her ear and I can see tears in her eyes, her face is splotchy, her nose red and her cheeks are stained with tears. _She's been crying. Over who? Hunter? Abby? God, I can't watch her like this. Katniss. What are you doing to me? _I jump off the sofa and bolt to Katniss' side, wrapping my arms around her in an embrace. Katniss hides her eyes from my sight and cries silently on my shoulder, I stroke her hair to soothe her.

"Come on Kat. Let's sit down. It's about to start." I tell her, wrapping my arm around her waist protectively and glaring at Enobaria who laughs when she looks at Katniss' shaken state. Caesar shows up on the screen and introduces the games like he does every year, and talks about the arena, showing a clip of the arena.

"It seems that the Arena is mostly made out of rock!" Caesar announces, and images of the arena change to Caesar and Claudius Templesmith. The arena is mainly made out of rock but there is a forest and a huge stream in between. _That's going to be hard for them to cross. But I guess that's going to be an advantage for Luke, being from District 4, he surely knows how to swim. One of the perks from being a District 4 tribute. That and having an extremely gorgeous mentor, that being me. _

"I think it's safe to say that this year's Hunger Games will certainly be interesting and fast!" He says to Caesar with his thick Capitol accent. Claudius is wearing a yellow suit and his white hair is styled so that it looks similar to Snow's, and Caesar is using a red suit, his hair is dyed blood red just like in the interviews. Katniss tenses up when she sees the arena and I swoop down to her ear and whisper calming things so that she would calm down.

"Calm down Kat, relax. Hunter and Abby got decent scores, and I'll be here for you if anything happens, which I hope don't." I tell her, tucking in a strand of her hair behind her ear. _It's true. Hunter and Abby did get decent scores but that doesn't automatically guarantee their survival. And I will always be her for Katniss, Ha. I don't think I could stand not being next to her. It's a good thing I've been excused from my work for 2 weeks for the games. _The tributes slowly raise upwards on their platform, I can see Luke nodding along with the other Careers. _Good, at least I won't have to worry about him right now. _Hunter and Abby are on the right side, 3 tributes are separating them from each other. I see them nod at each other and look ahead, poised to run. _I guess they're allies. _Caesar starts to count down and the tributes have a determined look set on their faces.

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

The alarm blares and I can see the careers outrunning everyone and getting weapons. Luke is with them and gets a spear. They start killing the other tributes who approach the cornucopia, one or two sometimes successfully escaping them. _And the bloodbath starts. _I see Hunter and Abby run for a backpack each and running off to the woods. _Taking cover, smart._ Katniss sighs, knowing her tributes are spared from the bloodbath and are still alive. Luke kills the girl from 8 and the boy from 10 with his spear. Titus, the leader of the career pack, a tribute from 2 snaps the head of the boy from 5 and kills 2 other tributes single-handedly. The bloodbath ends so Luke and the careers sort out through the supplies in the mouth of the cornucopia. The screen changes to show the tributes from 7, who have formed an alliance with the boy from 3, looking for water. Then it changes, showing the girl from 11 stabbing the boy from 9 repeatedly, blood squirting everywhere on her hands. She's crying though, _her first kill. It's always the hardest. _She falls to the ground, crying but gasps when the girl from 10 stabs her with the knife that laid next to her. _Ironic. Killed using her own knife._ The screen then changes, showing Hunter and Abby. Katniss looks up immediately and grips my hand so hard that I think it's going to lose circulation.

"It's all rock! How can we find food?" Abby whines, opening her backpack and searching for anything to eat.

"Well, we have to think of something! It's obvious that Haymitch's too drunk to notice anything and Katniss," He growls, his face goes red and he looks frustrated. Katniss tenses up and she looks like she's on the verge of crying.

"Katniss is what? Hunter?" Abby asks curiously, _That girl is too innocent and nice for her own good._

"Look, just don't expect any help coming from her. It's obvious she doesn't care about us. Well, me in particular." He huffs off, shooting a glare to Abby so that she would shut up. She just looks at him, her eyebrows raised still confused on what was happening. _So that's why Katniss was crying when she came in. She and Hunter had an argument before leaving. _Katniss' expression changes from sadness to pure anger and frustration. _What the hell happened with those two?_

"Who does he think he is? He doesn't fucking know me and doesn't have the right to judge me and to-" She realizes she's shouting and everyone's looking at her, she curses silently and slumps down in her seat leaning on me. She huffs in frustration and continues to watch her tributes. I put my feet up on the table in front of us and she lays her head on my lap, still watching Hunter and Abby with intent. I start playing with her hair, amazed by how soft it look and how soft it really is. She giggles when I accidentally brush a stand of her hair against her nose, tickling her. _What are we going to do about you?_ I sigh and grin at her, pleased to see my Katniss happy and giggling. _My Katniss? She's not mine. I mean just Katniss. I'm please to see just Katniss happy and giggling. God, pull yourself together man. What's happening with me? _The cannon starts to go off, signalling the end of the bloodbath and the death of the tributes.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

_That's 11. The first 4 hour of the games and 11 kids have already died. God, this is so twisted. _The screen is showing the careers who are hunting for the remaining tributes, and also hunting for a source of water. _No water means dehydration. If they dehydrate, then they'll die._ Hunter and Abby found a cave to sleep in, both of them can't climb trees like Katniss could in her games, so they have to find shelter.

"Hey. We'll find water tomorrow okay?" Hunter tells Abby, reassuring her. She looks a little bit uneasy but nods anyway and they get some sleep.

"Sweetheart, get some sleep. I'll cover the first shift, come back at 9 tomorrow okay?" Haymitch tells her, but Katniss doesn't seem to budge. She just ignores Haymitch and keeps an eye on the screen.

"Sweetheart." I cringe at Haymitch's nickname for Katniss, _Calm down Finnick. Haymitch is like her dad, just like Mags is to you. _"I'll come and get you if anything happens at all." Haymitch says, hugging her and kissing her forehead. Katniss just looks up at Haymitch and raises her eyebrow, Haymitch in return does some sort of pleading look and Katniss nods. _What the hell? They're telepathic? _

"Fishboy, take care of her okay? Mags told me to tell you the same thing. Don't forget to come back at 9 okay?" Haymitch tells me, pointing a finger at my face. "And no funny business." He glares at me, threatening me by showing his fist. _Jeez, calm down Haymitch. I could never do that with her. We've never even kissed yet. Yet. And what time is it anyway? Why are they sending us away? _I glance at the clock in the mentor's lounge and see that it's already 1:05 A.M. _I never even noticed._ I shrug and tug Katniss' hand so that she would start walking.

"Can we sleep over at my room tonight? It's closer to the mentor's lounge." I tell her, she looks hesitant. _Wait, god Finnick, you're an idiot! Just because she said she wanted to sleep together with you yesterday doesn't mean she wants to sleep with you again tonight. I'm an idiot._ Just as I was about to clarify things, Katniss speaks up.

"Sure Finn." She tells me, punching the number 4 button on the elevator. The elevator dings and the doors open, we head to my room.

"Here, just use my clothes. It's a bit to big for you but it should suffice." I tell her, throwing her my smallest shirt. She nods at me, muttering a thanks.

"Finnick? Can you unzip my dress?" Katniss tells me, _God I hope I can control my hormones tonight. _I nod and am instantly behind her, unzipping her dress slowly. When I'm done, she walks over to my bathroom with my shirt in hand. I sigh and strip out of my clothes so I'm shirtless and only in my boxers. Katniss comes out with my shirt on her and with no pants, my eyes widen and I just throw her a new pair of boxers. She quickly puts them on and says a thank you to me. She gets under the covers with me and cuddles to my side. I slide my hand around her wait, and she nuzzles her face to my chest. She's still awake and stares at the ceiling for a few seconds.

"I just noticed that we don't know much about each other." She tells me, turning on her side so she faces me.

"Really? On the contrary, Ms. Everdeen. I think otherwise." I ask her, laughing lightly and turning on my side to face her.

"Oh really? Then what's my favourite colour?" She asks me, daring me to answer her. _Shit. What's her favorite colour?_

"Fine. You caught me. Then how about a game of 21 questions?" I ask her, _I was going to challenge her to a game of knots, but I know she's not that skilled with ropes and knots yet. I think I'll teach her about it next time._ Katniss grins at my suggestion and nods.

"Okay, first question. What's your favorite colour?" I ask her, playing with her hair. _I can't seem to keep my hands off of her. It's like I just need to touch her, even if it's only a strand of her hair. _

"Green." My lips curl into a seductive smirk, obviously pleased with her answer.

"Like my eyes?" I purr into her ears, as if telling a secret.

"More to the forest, but sure." She tells me. "And you? Blue, I reckon?" she asks me, giggling.

"Yup. But nowadays I think I'm starting to like the colour gray even more." I say to her, winking. _Gray because of your eyes Kat._ She seems to understand what I'm trying to say and blushes. _She's so innocent, she blushes at everything I say and every time I flirt with her. _

"Second question. What was your first impression of me?" I ask her, she furrows her eyebrows in frustration, searching for an answer.

"Tell me! Incredibly gorgeous? Godlike? Devilishly handsome?" I tease her, poking the nose which she scrunches up. She blushes and a smirk finds its way onto my face.

"Well, at first I thought you were a narcissistic, self-righteous bastard who only cares about himself." She starts, thinking of words to continue with. I frown at her answer, _She thinks I'm that bad? And I'm trying to make her mine? Good luck there buddy. _"And now, I see that you're still narcissistic." She continues, snorting. "But you're kind, selfless, idiotic and childish at times, and you're always there for me." She says, glancing at me from under her thick dark eyelashes. _You're so beautify that it hurts. And you don't even know it._ _Wait. She said what?_ I look at her, my eyes wide after her confession.

"Really Girl on Fire? What's next? You confessing your undying love for me?" I joke, and a second later she blushes furiously and a weak smile tweaks on her mouth.

"You wish Odair." She tells me, trying to shove me by my shoulder but not succeeding. She laughs then continues, "What about me? You think I was some weak frail girl who was going to die?" _Does she really think that I would see her like that? I didn't even know her back then, and she think I was betting on her to die first._

"No. Never. I saw a fire in your eyes, and that determined look you had when you rode the chariot with Peeta, and I knew you were going to win. You were so captivating that I didn't, no I couldn't take my mind away from you. I knew my job was done, and it was useless for me to even try by the first hour of the Opening Ceremony, cause my tribute surely wasn't going to be the victor, cause that was going to be you. I knew you could win since the first time I laid eyes on you Katniss, and seeing you fake a romance with Peeta nearly killed me, because I knew you were going to fall for him at the end or at least care deeply but you and him could never have a relationship because only one comes out. And I knew he loved you so much, and the thought of living without you would seem like a waste of his life. Frankly, I can't blame him, life without us good-looking people must be so hard to live with, and not to mention boring." I try to lighten the mood a bit, winking at her only to get her shoving my shoulder yet again.

"You're stupid." She says, laughing at me.

"If it makes you laugh, then I'll be stupid everyday for you." I tell her, winking. _It's true Kat. Make me yours and I'll do anything to make you laugh._ _I know you still love Peeta, but I'll wait. I can see I'm growing on you already. _Suddenly the doors slams open and Haymitch barges in, the smell of alcohol lingers onto his body but he looks sober enough. His eyes are wide, frantically searching for Katniss. _I'm surprised he's not shouting at me because of our position._

"Sweetheart, change your clothes now." Haymitch tells her sternly, his eyebrows furrowing in deep thought.

"Haymitch, what's wrong?" Katniss asks, she's clinging onto my chest because of the shock of seeing Haymitch barge in.

"It's Hunter and Abby, you might want to see it."

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**AN: REVIEW PLEASE! They make my day! Reviews = Love and sugar cubes from Finnick!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Your reviews made my day! Thank you all so much! Keep reviewing!**

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Katniss' POV

After Haymitch leaves, I immediately strip out of Finnick's clothes, ignoring Finnick's presence behind me and change back into my dress. Finnick, evidently had the same idea and was already in his previous clothing. He zips up my dress and takes my hand, leading me into the elevator. _God, what the hell is happening to them? _I start to panic, Finnick presses the floor button for the mentor's lounge and the elevator starts to zoom downwards. Finnick senses my uneasiness and squeezes my hand to let me know he's there for me. I smile gratefully but I know it doesn't reach my eyes. _I dont know what I'd do if they died. God, when did I become such a mother?_ The elevator stops and the door slides open and I bolt to Haymitch's side. He looks at me and grunts, acknowledging my presence.

"The careers are on their tail." Haymitch tells me, he looks calm but I know he's trying to think of a way to tell Hunter and Abby to hide. I walk over the the sofas in front of the screen and take a seat. I'm hunched, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. _Hide. Hunter you can do this. I believe in you. _The screen shows Hunter and Abby still asleep in their cave and the careers are almost there, _about an hour till they get there._ I start to think of ways to get them to notice, _why don't we tell them through gifts! Hunter has a decent amount of sponsorship money! _

"Haymitch!" I call him over, he hums an answer which I did not quite catch but walks over to me. "Why don't we give them a gift? Water. They need it, and we can tell them to hide from the careers in the note! They won't dehydrate and they'll be cautious!" I tell Haymitch, he looks like he's thinking this over so I go over to the District 12 computer, where you can send gifts to the tributes.

"Sounds like a good idea Sweetheart." Haymitch tells me, which causes me to grin at him. "Well, look at you. Thinking and acting like a mentor." With that he walks away to the bar, to get yet another drink. I look at all the things that I can get, I get him a bottle of water, which he'll have to share with Abby and write a note for them. _Hide and move out, the careers are on your tail. -K. _I send the gift and go back to sit on my previous spot and watch the screen intently. The parachute shows up and Hunter, who is on watch notices it and grabs it.

"Abby wake up. We got a gift, probably from Haymitch." Hunter says, cracking open the parachute. _Thanks for your confidence in me, Hunter._ His face breaks out into a grin, "We've got water!" he exclaims happily, drinking a bit from the bottle. Abby on the other hand is smart enough to search for a note.

"Hide and move out, the careers are on your tail. Signed with a K. It's Katniss! She's the one who sent this for us." Abby says, glaring at Hunter, who nows looks sheepish. "Come on, we have to hide and move out." Abby tells him, pulling him up by the hand. They gather their supplies and hike out. _I hope they get to the forest soon. It'll provide them with more cover. _I see the list of tributes alive and turns out there were 4 deaths last night. The girl from 10 died from eating something poisonous, and the boy from 1 died because of a huge snake, _Capitol mutation. _The careers eventually killed it, but they also lost the girl from 2. The tributes from 7 betrayed and killed the boy from 3, ending that alliance and went off in separate ways. _Caesar was right, this will be a short Hunger Games._ I sigh and walk back to Haymitch, who was drinking with Seeder, Gloss from District 1, Brutus from District 2 and Woof from District 8.

"Hay? Why don't you get some sleep, it's almost 9 anyway. I don't think I'll be able to get anymore sleep anyways." I tell him, he look uncertain at first but then nods. He hugs me and kisses me on the forehead, then leaves.

"You're tributes seem lucky this year. Not a lot of tributes from 12 get past the bloodbath, nobody expects them too either, well aside from you. We all knew you were the one to beat last year, as hard as we didn't want to admit." Gloss tells me, _Arrogant asshole._ I scoff and take a swig of vodka which was on the table.

"Oh look, Johanna's drunk and about to strip! Better find Finnick. " Brutus tells us, leaving to find Finnick. _What the hell does he want with Finnick? And why would Finnick want to see Johanna strip? Oh, they're probably hooking up. They have been mentoring long before me. _

"Oh no. Sorry, I better go with Brutus and Finnick, if anything happens." She apologises and follows Brutus.

"Let's go watch our tributes, I only have 1 more tribute and intend on keeping her alive." Gloss tells me, pulling me back from where I came from and sitting next to me. _Oh well, at least I have company. Finnick's probably with Johanna or at an appointment. _The screen is showing the girl from 6, trying to make a fire. 1 word comes to my mind, _Idiot. Why would anyone build a fire at night?_ On cue, the careers jump in and hold the girl. Titus, the leader of the pack kills her with his glimmering sword. Her lifeless body falls onto the ground, her eyes still open and showing the look of pure terror. A hovercraft soon appears and the careers head out so that it can retrieve the body.

"Final eight. I guess we have interviews to get to! Let's go Girl on Fire, you're my date." _I better not piss him off, Haymitch would hate me getting into trouble on my first year mentoring. But then again he is begging me to punch him in the face. Calm Katniss, keep your cool. _After a minure of debating inside my head, I nod and follow him out. Cinna puts me in a black dress that stops mid-thigh and is sleeveless. It's tight, enhancing and showing off my so called, 'lovely curves'. When I get back, Gloss is there with a classic black tuxedo on.

"Ready Girl on Fire?" I nod and loop my hands with him. There's only one thing on my mind now. _Where on earth is Finnick?_ We head backstage and the mentors are being interviewed in pairs, because Gloss is from District 1, he and I get interviewed first. Caesar welcomes us onstage and compliments my choice of clothing and how good we look.

"So, Gloss and Katniss. Funny finding you both here together." Caesar tells us, raising one eyebrow at us. Gloss chuckles and announces that I am his date for tonight. _Oh, the need to knee him in the groin is too much. _I clench my fists, happy that my dress can cover them from anyones sight.

"Oh! So Gloss over Finnick? Interesting choice, I've got to say but I'm quite surprised." Caesar tells me, _Shit! What do I say now?_ I search for Cinna in the crowd but forgot that he told me he can't come because of personal business. _Dammit. _

"Oh well, you know me. Unpredictable." I tell Caesar, _God I'm an idiot. Now Gloss will think I like him and Finnick will most certainly be mad at me. Wait, why would he? He's with Johanna. _Caesar finally dismisses the topic and starts to question us about our tributes and their progress, we tell him that we're quite pleased and hope that they survive, well one of them in my case. When the buzzer goes off, Gloss and I stand up and shake Caesar's hand before leaving the stage.

"Thanks for tonight, but I've got to wake up Haymitch." I tell Gloss, _I think I'll just go find Finnick. _I start to walk off but Gloss stops me, gripping my wrist.

"I had a really good time tonight." He tells me, rubbing a thumb over my cheek and kissing the other cheek. I blush at the contact and tell him goodbye. _God, why did I agree on going with him in the first place? Oh that's right, cause I'm an idiot. Snow won't like me playing with some hotshot at the Capitol, well Finnick too but we never went out in public like Gloss and I. _Frustrated, I stomp to the elevator and press the number 12 button, _I need to find Haymitch. _When the elevator door opens, I find Haymitch passed out on the couch, bottles of alcohol scattered on the ground. I kindly as the avox to clean it up and to bring me a pitcher of ice-cold water and dunk it onto Haymitch's head.

"What the hell Haymitch! You were passed out drunk when I came in! We still have 2 tributes, who need us so that they can live! We owe it to them to stay sober and awake. God, you're a mess." I shout at him, taking of his button up shirt and putting on a new one on him. I'm already used to doing this, for a 40-year-old man, Haymitch is in shape. He's still has big biceps and strong muscles, his chest is still sculpted but he has a big scar running down his stomach from his games.

"Sweetheart, if you haven't already noticed. Titus is Cato's beloved brother, and he's going to make sure Hunter and Abby don't make it cause you killed Cato, well Peeta did but basically it all goes back to District 12. They're not going to make it. They should just accept their fate and death." Now he's pissed me off. I grab his arm and shove him into the elevator and punch the number for the mentor's lounge. _Can't even stay sober for a week. So pathetic. I get that it's hard mentoring so many children only to have one survive, me that is. But still, he could at least try!_ When we get there I pull Haymitch with me and sit him down next to me, grabbing a glass of water and a pill for his hangover. When we were gone, the girl from 4 was killed by Titus, because she didn't want to kill the boy from 7, who ended up dead anyway by Luke, Finnick's tribute. _18 dead, only 6 remain. 5 more to die till someone's crowned Victor. _The screen changes, showing Hunter and Abby in the forest. _I guess they made it to the forest. Good for them._ I think, glancing at Haymitch, who was now dealing with his hangover but still watching the tributes. The forest is quiet, _too quiet. _A small rabbit hops in front of them, Abby looks entranced while Hunter keeps looking around for other tributes. Abby goes closer and touches its nose, but then when she does, the rabbit suddenly grows bigger, and is now the size of a bear. _It's a mutt. _It claws Abby and flings her onto a tree. _Shit!_ Hunter looks poised to attack but is still looking at it, searching for any weaknesses. He has a spear in hand and a knife on his belt, the mutt flings itself onto Abby and bites her chest. The cannon goes off, and Abby's dead. _It's good that she had a quick death. I can't imagine watching her get tortured and suffer. _Abby's death awakens Hunter and he's now determined. His eyes are gleaming, tears threatening to fall and he throws his spear to the mutt's chest, the mutt growls and whimpers, changing back into the form of a bunny. Hunter quickly takes the knife from his belt and cuts the rabbit in two, by the neck. It's blood splatters and Hunter decides to eat it raw. _I hope it's not poisonous._

"Guess I'm out! Now, if you don't mind Sweetheart. I'm going to get a drink." Haymitch tells me, getting up from his seat. I pull him back down by the hem of his shirt, he grunts when he hits the sofa.

"Damn Sweetheart. Didn't know you were that strong." Haymitch mutters from beside me.

"Look, it doesn't matter that Hunter's my tribute or yours. He's the only one left from our district. OUR district Haymitch! And you will help me keep him alive! Or so help me I will make your life a living hell." I shout at him, glaring at him and I'm sure I have fire burning in my eyes.

"Fine! And your welcome Sweetheart. Finally there's my Sweetheart from the 70th Hunger Games! Good to have you back, Firecracker!" Haymitch guffaws loudly and I just huff in frustration. _I need to keep Hunter alive. _

Finnick's POV

_You're so stupid Finnick. Katniss never liked you, she likes Gloss. Or whoever the fuck that Gale person is. _I just got back from an appointment with a Capitol woman and went to the mentor's lounge to await for Katniss' return. Mags took over the interviews because she knew I had an appointment to attend to. Apparently, this woman was so rich that she paid Snow so much that he instructed me to attend to this appointment even when he said I could have a one week break for mentoring in the Hunger Games. When I got back Katniss was on the screen, _She's having her interview with Caesar,_ I think presumably. When the camera zooms out, I can see Gloss sitting next to her and that's when I start to clench my fists.

"Yeah, Katniss is my date for tonight and I have the pleasure to be in her presence in this lovely evening." Gloss announces, _What! Katniss is his date? Fucking hell! Why the hell did I leave her? God Finnick you stupid man. Well if I didn't go, my family, Mags and maybe even Katniss would be dead. _I decide I couldn't handle seeing Katniss and Gloss together anymore so I head out to the bar near the auditorium where the interviews are being held. Capitol people were there, some mentors, sponsors and a few game makers who are on break.

"Vodka please." I tell the bartender, I sigh and sit down. He gives me the vodka and I drink up, my throat burns but I'm numbed from the pain. A few girls recognise me and start to flirt with me shamelessly, _better keep up with my Capitol act,_ I think so I flirt back with them, winking and seductively purring into their ears. Someone pulls my arm back and I growl, I turn to see Johanna Mason, Victor from District 7 looking at me with disgust. _What the hell does she want now?_ I excuse myself from the girls and kiss their hands and cheeks, then returning to Johanna, who was leaning over the bar with her arms crossed against her chest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" She yells at me and slaps my arm. I glare at her and she continues, "Why were you fucking flirting with those slutty girls?" She asks me. _She just has to come and lecture me when I'm in a bad mood doesn't she? Great. Just fucking great. _

"Haven't you heard? I'm the Capitol's heartthrob! Sex symbol of Panem!" I shout, laughing at my own words. _Maybe I'm starting to get a bit drunk. _

"Yes Fishboy, I've heard." Johanna tells me sarcastically, I growl when she calls me Fishboy, another reminder of Katniss. "But I know you fucking like Katniss. You baby her and fucking wait for her. I mean you're not that sadistic, heartless tribute from the 65th Hunger Games when she's there. And don't worry I'm the only one who notices." She tells me with a wink. I laugh, _Johanna and her swearing. Can't say 3 sentences without adding a swear word in it. _

"Well, she's on a date with Gloss! So, why the fuck should I care? There are plenty of girls here waiting to see Mr. Sex God." I address myself, _It's true, not the Sex God part, but there are plenty of girls waiting to see me. Hopeless, lovesick girls who just want me for my looks that is. Not like Katniss. I yearn for her presence, to hear her laugh. _

"You really are brainless are you? That's it! Fish-brains is officially your nickname! Look Fish-brains, Haymitch already watches Katniss like a hawk, do you think Gloss would just accept Katniss' rejection easily without putting up a fight or bringing some shit up? No. Katniss must've known to go with him, unwillingly, but just to prevent any trouble. And good fucking thing she did, Gloss would probably throw a tantrum and rage out on her and Cashmere." Johanna explains to me, _She's right. Of course she is. It's Johanna for god's sake! I feel like an idiot. I'll just go and find Katniss now._

"Shit. You're right." I tell her, she mutters of course and I tell her where I'm going, "Well, I'm going to look for Katniss. Don't mention this to anyone!" I call after her, walking back to the training centre and get to the mentor's lounge. Haymitch is laughing loudly with Katniss slumping in her spot on the sofa looking annoyed with Haymitch. _Wonder what he did._ I shake the thought from my head and make my way towards Katniss_._ When Katniss sees me, she runs up to me and I wrap her in an embrace. I chuckle and smell her hair. _I missed you too Kat._ She then pulls back and hits my chest, I look at her curiously, _why is everyone hitting me today?_

"Where the hell were you! The girl tribute from your district died and I was searching for you! I was worried." Katniss tells me, _she was searching for me. She was worried for ME._ I can't help but grin at her, I smile so wide that my cheek hurts, but I don't really care. I pull her closer so that I can hug her again and I kiss her on the forehead_._

"You were worried for me huh?" I tease her, grinning. She rolls her eyes at me and I laugh, "I'm sorry Kat. I promise never to do that again okay?" I tell her, and she nods.

"Um, Finnick?" She asks me, looking up at me. _I look so big compared to her petite form. Well, I am generally tall for someone my age. _I hum a reply, too captivated in looking at her beautiful grey eyes that have her fire blazing in them."What's that?" She asks, pointing to my neck. I look down and find a hickey there and some lipstick. _Shit! I'm so fucking stupid! I didn't even bother to take a shower or clean up before seeing her. I guess I couldn't wait though._

"Oh, um I just got back from an appointment." I tell her, frowning, her expression softens and she uses a tissue to wipe off the lipstick from my neck.

"You better take a shower, Finnick." She tells me, _I really don't want to leave her, I just got here. _

"Not without you." I purr into her ear. I'm using my seductive voice, deep and husky. I can see her shudder and goosebumps appear on her skin. _Goosebumps. I give her goosebumps. _

"Ew. Finnick stop!" She tells me, laughing and pushing me away by the shoulder. I raise my arms in surrender. I'm honestly offended but I just play it off by laughing with her, hoping it doesn't seem too fake. _Oh well, that's what you get for being a perverted asshole. _

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll go take a shower now. I'll miss you though." I tell her sincerely, pouting, bringing her closer to me. A smile creeps onto her face and she kisses my cheek, _She gives me goosebumps just by kissing my cheek. Who knows what she'll do to me if we kiss for real? _I hold the cheek she just kissed and smile, she shoves me into the elevator and tells me to come see her later, which I agree almost immediately. I see Mags in the living room, pacing in front of the TV screen, which shows well the Hunger Games. She seems to be really distressed, She's like my mother and I hate seeing her sad. _Why is she so sad? I know her tribute died, but we still have Luke! Wait, we do still have Luke don't we? _

"Mags? What's wrong?" I ask her, hugging her and slowly rubbing her back to calm her down from her sobs.

"Luke." She says in a garbled voice, Mags had a stroke a few months back so she has a garbled speech and only some people can really understand what she's saying. I look at the TV, Luke and Titus are having some sort of argument.

"I know there 2 more tributes! But, there's only 5 of us left. I don't want to be the one killing you both!" Luke says, _he's exhausted and nervous. I can tell by how much he's sweating. _Titus laughs.

"You? Kill us? Look nobody leaves this alliance until I say so. And guess what? For even thinking of leaving, you get to die!" Titus roars, digging his knife into Luke's stomach. Luke grunts and falls onto the ground, his blood is already flowing onto the rocks. _Shit, no. Luke._ He mouth's someones name, it starts with an M. _Mom?_ _I'm not sure._ And the cannon booms, signalling his death. _I'm sorry Luke. _Mags starts to sob even louder and cries into my shoulder, I rub her back and set her down onto the couch. I grab a glass of water and give it to her so she can drink. She mutters a thank you and tells me she's going to go sleep, I kiss her forehead and head into my own bedroom to take a shower. _Only four more tributes. Titus, the girl from 1 and 7 and Hunter. Hunter. He could actually win. But no, Titus won't let that happen. _I strip out of my clothes, and put them in the bin for the avoxes to clean.I press the sea-scented button, and soon am hit by warm water, I wash my body using the sea-scented liquid soap and wash my hair and put conditioner on it. After I'm finished, I adjust the water temperature so it's freezing cold, and hiss from the contact. I expose the part of my neck where my hickey is and rub it. _That should make it disappear. _I wrap myself in a towel and go outside to find some shorts, and a black shirt. _I haven't had dinner but I'll just eat with Katniss on her floor since she still has to mentor._ I go up to Katniss' floor using the elevator and go into Katniss' room. I knock a few times and hear Katniss ask who it is.

"It's me!" I call out, I face palm myself. _Just because you remember and recognise her voice, doesn't mean she recognise and remembers yours, stupid. _"It's Finnick!" I call out again, Katniss opens her door and flings herself to me. _Guess she must've missed me more than I think._ I think cockily, grinning at her figure in my arms.

"I'm so sorry about Luke." She whimpers out, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck. _So that's why she's acting like this. She feels bad about Luke. She didn't miss you that much Finnick. _I pull back and grab her face, stroking her cheeks with my thumbs. She looks upset, _Why did the Capitol have to get to you when you're barely even an adult Kat?_

"Hey now. It's okay. Luke died a quick and peaceful death. And that means there's a bigger possibility for Hunter to come back right?" I tell her, she nods sadly and just looks at me. _Her eyes look slightly red, why? Oh right, Abby. She died because of that mutt. Oh Katniss, what am I going to do with you? _

"I'm starving. Let's eat!" I tell her, my stomach growling, agreeing with me. She giggles and asks the Avox to bring us dinner nicely. When he and a few other avoxes come in bringing a buffet of food, probably for Effie, the stylists and Haymitch later, Katniss thanks them and says thank you. _I've never heard anyone say thank you to an avox before. _Hunger takes over me and I dig into my food, not caring how I look, _but I'm surely still devilishly handsome. _Katniss laughs and soon starts eating too, a blanket of comfortable silence covering the air around us. Once we're done, the avoxes took the liberty of serving us one big bowl of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice-cream. _These are the nicest pair of avoxes I've ever seen. Maybe it's cause they're treated better. Or it's just cause of Katniss. She does have that effect on people. _Katniss thanks them, me joining in this time. We bring the bowl of ice-cream and 2 spoons into Katniss' room, laying down on the bed eating ice-cream. _I'll need to workout and swim tomorrow to pay off for this. _

"You know, we never got to finish our game of 20 questions." She tells me, licking the strawberry ice-cream off her spoon.

"Really? Okay, lets continue. Oh, I've got a good one. What was your first kiss like?" I ask her, leaning forwards. _This will be interesting. I love how I can act so childish and carefree with her._

"Lets see. It was in a cave and I was seventeen. The boy had blue eyes and blonde hair and was really handsome." She tells me, scooping up ice-cream using her spoon. _Handsome? Well that was before she met me. Wait. She's talking about Peeta in her games. She had her first kiss on-screen? Wow. _I laugh so hard that I fling my spoon onto the floor, Katniss tells me to share her spoon which I gladly agreed to.

"That sounds exciting. Mine was after I was reaped, I was almost fourteen. It was with my girlfriend, Annie." Katniss smiles sympathetically at me, scooping strawberry ice-cream and flicking it onto my nose.

"HEY!" I exclaim to her, my nose now covered in strawberry ice-cream. I try licking it off, but Katniss wipes it off using her index finger and licks it.

"Sweet." She tells me, laughing so loud that I'm afraid she'll wake someone up.

"I was going to eat that." I huff in frustration and roll my eyes at her. She giggles and licks some ice-cream off her spoon.

"Okay, back to the juicy stuff! What type of guy do you like?" I tell her, waggling my eyebrows, teasing her. "Ones that are incredibly handsome, tall, muscular, charming and charismatic? Like oh, I don't know. Me maybe?" I tease her, poking her sides which makes her laugh even louder.

"I don't think I do have a type. I just like nice guys." She tells me, and silence takes over. _Wait if her first kiss was with Peeta, then does that mean she's never had a boyfriend before?_ She snaps me out of my thoughts, "What about you, Mr. Sex Symbol of Panem? What's your type?" She teases me, feeding another spoonful of vanilla ice-cream to me.

"I like girls who are feisty and selfless. Who don't like me for my look and reputation, but for who I am." I tell her, thinking of something else to say.

"I've got to say, I'm kind of shocked with your answer. But I'm pleased, so continue!" She says, eating a spoonful of vanilla ice-cream.

"Well lately, I'm more into girls with dark brown hair, white skin and stormy, fiery eyes." I tell her, smirking. _I'm describing you, Kat. Please get it. _

"Oh really? Well then, if I find someone like that, I'll make sure to tell you." She says happily, feeding me another spoonful of ice-cream. _How oblivious can she get?_ I sigh and think of a question.

"Next question. Do you have a boyfriend?" I ask her, grabbing the spoon from her grip and scooping some ice-cream for myself, licking the ice-cream off of it.

"Nope." She says happily, this intrigues me to ask her further into the question, but I ignore the urge to ask him. She frowns momentarily, then looks up at me. "You? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. Apparently, sleeping with someone who is in a relationship isn't something that people look forward to in the Capitol. But, I do have my eyes on someone." I tell her, waggling my eyebrows.

"Oh." She laughs awkwardly, and looks up at me again. "Johanna right? You guys look cute together." She tells me, and plays with the hem of her flannel. _What? Johanna? Where did she get that idea? Me and Johanna! _

"God no! It's not Johanna! She's just a good friend, she's helping me out with her actually." I tell her nonchalantly, feeding her a spoonful of strawberry ice-cream, which I have learned, is her favourite. My hand jerks upwards and the spoon hits her nose before going to her mouth, and she has strawberry ice-cream over her little nose. She tries licking it off, but fails miserably. _It looks funny though. _I laugh and scoot over to her side, one arm wrapping her waist and one holding her cheek. I peck her nose, getting the strawberry ice-cream on my lips. She pouts, disappointed over her failure and I lick the ice-cream off my lips. Apparently, we've finished all the ice-cream, so I move it aside and set it down on the table near the door for the avox to pick up. I get under the covers next to Katniss and cuddle with her, _does she think this is a friendly sort of gesture or what? Doesn't matter though, as long as I have her here with me like this. Everything's fine when she's with me. Except if something happens to her, god even the thought of it physically pains me. _Katniss snuggles further into my chest and my arms snakes down onto her waist, holding her close to me.

"Goodnight Girl on Fire." I tell her, kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight Fishboy." She tells me, sighing before falling into slumber.

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**AN: Yes, I know there are some parts where Finnick is perverted and acts like a jerk, but I'm just trying to stick with his character from the book, so please don't hate me for it. I also wanted to put the bit where they eat ice-cream and play 21 Questions to show how they can forget about the Hunger Games, and show how they bond. REVIEW PLEASE! They make my day and make this so much more fun! Tell me what you think of the chapter and what I should include in the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry for the late upload! I was out for the whole day getting supplies for a marathon tomorrow! Anyways thank you for all your reviews! They make me smile when I get up and I always look forward to them everyday! **

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Katniss' POV

"Katniss. Katniss, wake up!" I hear Finnick shout, shaking my shoulders, attempting to wake me up. "Kat! Wake up! We have to go to the mentor's lounge!" _Mentor's lounge? _My eyes shoot open and dart around the room, and landing on Finnick's calming sea-green eyes.

"What! What happened?!" I ask, gripping his hand, squeezing it hardly. _Fuck, it must be Hunter._ Finnick looks uneasy and hesitant to answer the question, so I run out of my room and into the elevator. Slamming the mentor's lounge floor number, repeatedly so that the elevator will go faster. Finnick stands beside me, looking worried at my behaviour, _Well what the fuck did he think I would react when my first tribute gets into trouble? All butterflies, dandelions and rainbows? _The elevator dings, signalling our arrival and I bolt towards the sofa, as the elevator door opens.

"They found him." A voice says behind me, making me squeak in surprise. I turn around and see Johanna, sitting on the sofa next to Haymitch who looked frustrated. _What the hell is she talking about? _"The careers brainless. They found Hunter, look." Johanna tells me, pointing onto the big screen which now shows Hunter and the 2 remaining careers.

"Looks like I get to kill the District 12 scum after all! Your mentor did not deserve to win, my brother did. She was just fucking lucky, and when I win and see her again, I'll cut out her throat like I'll do to you." Titus tells Hunter, sneering at him. _Fuck. Hunter! Do something! _He sighs and just drops his spear. _What the fuck does he think he's doing?_

"Fine. Kill me, I don't deserve this anyone and everyone knows I'm going to die." Hunter tells him, looking Titus dead in the eyes. Titus snorts and starts to run towards him, sword in hand. Just as he is about to dig his sword into Hunter's body, Hunter moves aside and catches his neck in a tight grip. Hunter uses pressure points to suffocate him and eventually killing him. Boom. _I can't believe Hunter killed a career! 21 down, 2 to go. _Hunter crouches down to pick up his spear when an arrow hits his arm, he turns around to see the girl from District 1, holding up a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. _She's holding it wrong, that's why she missed her target. Well thank god for that anyway. _Hunter is just about to throw his spear but the girl from 1 beats him to it, shooting an arrow onto his stomach. _Fuck, it's not a clean shot. He's going to be in pain. _I wince when Hunter falls onto the ground, clutching his now bloody stomach.

"I know nobody remembers me, it's always been Titus this, Titus that. Well, I need to win and I will win. I'm a career not some District 12 scum, I deserve this." She says, kicking Hunter's spear and knife away from his reach, she crouches down to Hunter, knife in hand.

"Fuck you." Hunter chokes out, moaning in pain, his blood flowing out of his body. _He's dying. _The girl from District 1 plunges her knife onto Hunter's chest, carving out a number 12 on it. _Sadistic bitch. _Hunter gasps, breathless and his head falls back, now lifeless on the ground. Boom. _2 tributes left. _

"Hunter." I whimper, looking back at Haymitch, who now has his head on his hands. I feel something hot slide down my cheek, and then notice that I'm crying. I run out of the room, covering my face with my hands. I hear someone yell my name but honestly, I couldn't care less at the moment. I run to the elevator, hitting the number 13 and close button so that nobody could catch me right now. _The roof. Nobody will find me there. Yes, I need to go to the roof._ I'm quivering, my whole body racked with sobs, _Hunter didn't deserve to die. _Hunter was like a brother to me, and I loved him like a sibling. _Even though we had an argument right before the games started, he was still a kid, no older than me and he had to die. _

"Peeta, I wish you were here right now. I'm useless Peeta, I let Hunter down and now he's dead. Peeta, I'm sorry. I've failed you, I've failed Haymitch and now I've failed Hunter. I'm never going to learn. I'm such a mess Peeta. I wish you were here with me, to comfort me with your strong arms and whisper all the things you used to say to calm me down. I'm so sorry Peeta. I've failed you once again. Maybe Hunter would have lived if you were his mentor. Maybe he would have survived if you were alive." I say out loud to no one, but to myself. _God I'm such a mess. _I start to sob even harder, rubbing my knuckles that were now 'stained' with the blood of the people that were killed because of me. _Peeta. Clove. Marvel. Cato. Glimmer. Abby. Hunter. _"I'm so sorry Hunter. I failed you. I failed at mentoring you, and ensuring that you would come out alive. God, I take back everything that I said! I'm sorry!" I scream out, my body shaking from my sobs and the cold. _That's right. The Girl on Fire finally broke. Took long enough, but it was inevitable. Catnip, the strong girl who never cried or showed any emotions or love for anyone other than Prim from District 12 is no longer here. She has been replaced with the broken Girl on Fire, who is frail and weak. _I look up at the city, the Capitol lights shining brightly and people outside the Training Centre cheering for the Hunger Games. _The Capitol did this. Well fuck them! I will not give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken! _I stand up and walk back to the elevator and hit the button for the mentor's lounge. I stomp back into the room and sit down on the sofa, everyone staring at me like I'm some kind of alien.

"Hunter was from District 12. There was no chance in him surviving anyway!" Haymitch shouts to me, sitting on a stool at the bar. I throw him one of my stiletto heels, which fly past his ear onto the wall. "Jesus sweetheart, are you trying to kill me!" He shouts, still staring at my heels that were dug into the wall.

"Looks like you're already doing that by yourself with all the drinking you do." I retort back, glaring at him. _If he thinks I'll go easy on him just because Hunter and Abby died, he's wrong. _

"And to think you were some weak girl from District 12! I thought you were going to break down as soon as your first tribute died!" Brutus slurs drunkenly, throwing an arm around Haymitch's shoulder. _Drunk bastard. _

"I will shove those words up your ass." I tell him, shoving my clenched fist in front of his face. Finnick sighs and starts to drag me back to the elevator, pressing the number 12 button.

"You just cause trouble wherever you go, don't you Fire Girl?" Finnick teases me, smirking at me. I huff in response, glaring at him with my fiery eyes so he wouldn't respond and just shut up for a minute. The elevator door opens, I walk past Finnick towards my room and shuts the door behind me. _I can't handle Finnick and all his teasing, flirting and sexual innuendos right now. _I strip out of my clothes and take a quick shower, putting on some lemon-scented soap and then dry myself using my towel. I put on my bra and panties and go straight to bed, not bothering to put on some clothes. _I don't have to wake up early anyway. _

Finnick's POV

_Jesus Finnick, you're an idiot. Why the hell did you have to tease her about it? See, now she's shutting you out again. And all of the work you did to get to know her better was for nothing. Stupid asshole. _I knock on Katniss' door for a few times but get no response. I lean on the door and put my hands on my lap, _Well Katniss is the feisty tipe, _I chuckle at the memory of her games. Her fiery determination and attitude was what made her win. _I also remember me stressing out over her with Haymitch. _

**"For fuck's sake Haymitch! Give the damn girl some water!" I yell at Haymitch, who seems to be relaxed, leaning on the couch of his private mentoring room. I was there because my tribute was doing fine on his own and I couldn't seem to focus without knowing Katniss was suffering without water.**

**"Calm down Fishboy, she's almost at the pond." Haymitch tells me, pointing towards the pond on the holographic map. **

**"She's dying! She won't make it!" I yell at him, ****_drunk bastard. Can't even pay attention for his own tribute's survival! _**

**"She'll understand why I'm keeping water from her. She'll understand my intentions and reasons." Haymitch tries to persuade me, leaning back on his spot. I sigh in frustration but decide to leave it, so I sit down beside Haymitch looking at Katniss in the arena. She's sweating, panting out of breath and desperately looking for water. She's limping, leaning against the trees whenever she finds one and tumbles onwards when she falls. ****_Come on Katniss. Don't die. _****Her hand clenches into fists and she touches what I think is moss. She looks up and slowly touches the texture of the moss. ****_That's it! Get to the water. _****She starts to stand up and make her way towards the pond, running when she finally sees it. **

**"See Fishboy? What did I tell you?" Haymitch tells me, smirking when he sees my features soften when Katniss finally found the pond. I scowl at his comment and keep my focus onto Katniss, who was now scooping a handful of water using her hands and drinking it. She moans in pleasure, yearning for more water and fills her water bottle, which she got from the backpack she scooped up earlier with the water. She finally climbs up a tree near the pond and ties her feet onto the branch and sleep. I sigh, relaxed knowing she would live for another night. **

**"Why do you care anyway Fishboy?" Haymitch asks me, finally taking his eyes off of his female tribute. I shrug in response, not looking at him. "You like her don't you?" He asks me again. He takes my silence as a yes and laughs. "You do like her!" He guffaws, ****_Is this man even sober? _****"Well I got to say Fishboy, I can't blame you or anything but there's a possibility she's not even going to live." He tells me, I growl in response.**

**"Don't you dare say that! She is going to live! You just have to stay damn sober so that she can survive! I swear to god Haymitch if I see you even slightly drunk I will cut your hand off." I growl, shooting daggers at him. ****_Drunkard._**

**"Jesus Fishboy, do you see any flasks or bottles here? I am sober." He tells me, I look around for any flasks or bottles only to find that he was right. ****_Maybe he's staying sober because he knows Katniss is going to live. _**

**"Fine." I tell him, turning my head back to the screen, which shows Katniss sleeping on the branch. Suddenly a fireball shoots at a tree next to her's and she wakes up instantly. She looks around and sees that there's a fire and quickly unwraps herself from the rope and jumps down from the branch. ****_Damn. So much for the Girl on Fire. _****She runs away from the fire, only to meet a dead end, surrounded by rocks. A fireball shoots at her, only a few inches away from her. "NO!" I scream at the screen, jumping forwards. ****_Fuck!_**** She ducks and is hit by another fireball, which hits her thigh. "NO! KATNISS!" I scream at the screen and Haymitch has to pull me back to my spot on the couch before I punch or throw something at the screen. She winces and gives a pained look and rushes through the forest before finding the lake. She jumps in, moaning at the relief sent by the water hitting her injury. ****_She looks so seductive and she doesn't even realize it. _****The careers and Peeta soon come and notice her presence and run after her, looking out for her blood. ****_Peeta. Damn traitor. _****Katniss immediately runs away, looking for a tall tree before climbing it, trying to gain distance from the careers and Peeta. When Glimmer shoots an arrow at her, I scream, my fists clenched together. Cato then climbs up the tree and I find myself- **

I fall down, awaken from my dream. _What time is it? _Katniss looks down at me, her eyes furrowed together in confusion. _God, I fell asleep on her door. Creepy much Finnick?_

"Finnick?" Katniss calls out, helping me up. _I must look like a total creep._

"Hey Kat. Just thought you would be happy to be in my presence in the morning!" I lie to her smoothly, smirking at her while waggling my eyebrows. Katniss snorts at my joke and walks past me to the living room, she's in a black dress and is using some heels, her hair is left in its wavy form, free from her usual braid. _I've got to say, I like this look._

"Let's go to the mentor's lounge. It's the last day of the Hunger Games and I have to make sure Haymitch isn't causing any trouble." Katniss tells me, throwing an apple to my direction which I catch with ease. She takes an apple for herself and we go down to the mentor's lounge. "I hope the girl from 7 wins, what's her name? Thalia! That's it. If Sparkle from District 1 wins, I think I might strangle her onstage when Caesar interviews her. We don't need anymore victors from District 1." She tells me bluntly, not caring how she sounds like. I chuckle at her comment, _always the feisty one huh Kat?_

The elevator door opens and we walk in, finding the mentor's all by the sofa watching the final battle between Thalia and Sparkle. Cashmere and Gloss, the District 1 mentors are on one end of the sofa where eras Johanna and Blight are on the other end. Johanna is laughing and flailing her arms, probably drunk out of her mind. I chuckle and take a seat next to her, pulling Katniss onto my lap when she doesn't find any seats left. Katniss tries to get up but I don't let her go, pulling her back using my arms which are locked around her waist.

"Finnick! Let me go!" She whispers harshly at me, not wanting to draw any attention towards us.

"Nah. I find this position rather comfortable actually." I tell her, grinning at her flushed cheeks. _She's blushing just because she's sitting on my lap. How innocent are you Kat? _When she finally gives up and leans back onto my chest, my grin widens until my cheek start to hurt. I rest my chin on her shoulder, and making funny noises, which only she can hear, that make her laugh. _I love her laugh. It's too bad she doesn't often laugh. _When she starts to laugh too hard, the other mentors shush us and tell us to shut up. She blushes out of embarrassment and tells me to shut up and watch the finale. Thalia and Sparkle are in front of the cornucopia, having the finale battle to claim the title of Victor of the 71st Hunger Games.

"Well, well, well! Looks like it's just you and me 7!" Sparkle start, twisting her knife in her right hand, showing off her skills to Thalia. Thalia scoffs at her and just pulls out her axe from her belt, doing the same thing Sparkle did with her knife.

"Oh, so you're just like your mentor huh? Johanna?" Sparkle says, laughing and then throwing a dagger at Thalia. Thalia dodges the dagger and runs towards Sparkle, kicking her ankles so she falls down.

"Bitch!" Sparkle yells, grabbing Thalia's ankle causing her to fall down beside Sparkle. Sparkle climbs onto Thalia, pressing both of Thalia's hands on top of Thalia's head using her left hand, an evil smirk visible on her face. "This is what you get when you mess with me!" Sparkle tells her, laughing. "I think I'll just make you have a slow death. Carve a smiley face onto your face, drawing out the blood until you die. Ironic isn't it? You'll have a smile on your face when you're dead!" Sparkle shouts, laughing like a psychotic little bitch. _She's fucking mental. _I can hear Katniss growl at Sparkle comment and my grip on her waist tightens, to prevent her for doing anything she might regret on doing later. Sparkle grabs her other dagger from her belt, not looking at Thalia for a minute. Thalia takes the moment for her advantage, kicking Sparkle back and head using her legs which causes Sparkle to fall and yelp in pain. Thalia gets up and grabs her spear, cutting Sparkle's head from her body. Boom. _God. This kid is fucking scary with that axe. _

"Ladies and gentlemen! The victor of the 71st Hunger Games, Thalia Greenwood from District 7!" Caesar's voice booms out, Thalia stands up fixing her shirt that is covered with Sparkle's blood.

"Finally! Someone who's good with an axe from my district! Well not as good as me but still." Johanna yells out, from my side grinning from her district's victory. Everyone laughs, aside from Cashmere and Gloss who looks disappointed and furious. _Guess they're mad Sparkle didn't win. Sparkle. District 1 and their idiotic names. _

"Fishbrains! Brainless! Haymitch! Come with me and Blight to the hovercraft to get Thalia. I have a feeling she won't be too welcoming with our presence." Johanna tells us, I let Katniss of my lap and stand up too. Katniss raises her eyebrows at Johanna, questioning her. _She doesn't remember. _

"What? Don't you remember brainless?" Johanna asks Katniss, who seems oblivious as ever. Johanna laughs at Katniss' expression and explains further to her. "You almost killed me when I came with Haymitch and Fishbrains to come and get you! You gave me a damn good punch to the stomach!" Johanna tells her, laughing loudly making the other victors chuckle. "Haven't you seen Fishbrains' scar?" Johanna asks her, _God Johanna did you have to bring it up?_

"What scar? Finnick what's she talking about?" Katniss tells me, frustrated and mad for being kept out of the loop. Before I can even respond to Katniss, Johanna cuts me off.

"The one on his right arm, near his elbow! You cut him using a damn syringe when the doctors tried to sedate you after the games." Johanna explains, I growl at her giving her a look so she would stop talking but she just shrugs. Katniss grabs my right arm and searches for the scar on my tan skin. When she finds it, she cringes and looks up into my eyes. I can't help but pout looking at her pair of grey eyes which now look hurt and sad.

"Finnick? I did this to you! Why didn't you tell me?" She asks me, her face looking pained. _God Kat, don't look at me like that._

"It doesn't even matter? It's almost gone, the Capitol gave me a cream to make it fade away. Come on Kat, just let it go." I plead, my heart is hurt looking at her pained face. _She didn't know what she was doing. Every victor responds to other people like that after their games. I don't blame her. God knows what I did to Mags and Hector after my games. _

"I hurt you Finn. It matters to me!" She tells me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. _Don't cry Kat. Where's my Girl on Fire?_

"Katniss please just let it go. Every victor responds that way to other people after their games. You can repay me back in some way after we get Thalia!" I suggest, waggling my eyebrows teasing her. She finally lets out a laugh and slaps my chest.

"Fine. Come on." She tells me, dragging me to follow her and catch up with Johanna, Blight and Haymitch. _I hope Thalia doesn't try to kill us. Katniss especially._

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**AN: REVIEW! They make my day and bring a smile on my face! Reviews = Love**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I'm sorry for not uploading for um 3 days I think (?) Your reviews were so touching and made me feel so much better. I wasn't too eager to post this today but my cousin told me to, because she knows I love writing and I love hearing what you guys think! And yes, fuck the haters, my cousin taught me that and told me that with everything we do, people will have different opinions on it and some will, well, hate on you for it but you can't please anyone. Reading your reviews made me realise that at least someone was enjoying and liking what I wrote. Anyways thank you for your reviews, it's you guys that made me feel so much better and continue to upload. I love y'all! Reviews are welcome! They are encouraged!**

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Finnick's POV

We walk into the hovercraft, taking our seats before the hovercraft takes off and heads into the arena. It's about 11 o'clock in the morning and Katniss was leaning her head against my shoulder. After about 10 minutes we arrive, a ladder slowly goes down and peacekeepers stand by the door.

"Get your hands off me!" Thalia screams, kicking the peacekeeper's groin using her knee. She hurls herself on the other peacekeeper and knocks him down unconscious, _She's even worse than Katniss. Kat only acted like this when the doctors tried to sedate her. _

"Thalia calm down!" Johanna shouts at her, Thalia's head snaps in our direction and she stops what she's doing. A doctor then creeps up and plunges a needle to her neck, knocking her out. Se_datives,_ I think presumably. The peacekeepers carry her onto a metal inspection table so the doctors can heal her and remove all the scars and burns she received in the arena. We all go back to our spots and the hovercraft takes off and heads back to the training centre.

"Do you think she'll be offered by Snow?" Blight finally speaks up, asking me. _He's asking me if she'll have to be a prostitute. _

"No. She's not beautiful and sexy. And she's not the type that the Capitol want's. She looks like a typical pretty girl." I tell him, making him relaxed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Katniss asks, waking up from her sleep. _Shit. I don't want her to know. _

"Nothing. Just go back to sleep." I tell her, _She was supposed to be a prostitute for Snow but I persuaded him to not threaten her. At the end he agreed, reluctantly I might add, as long as I have more clients and appointments everyday. But it's worth it, I don't want Katniss' life and innocence ruined by Snow and his twisted ways. _

_"_No Finnick. Tell me." Katniss says, eyeing me sternly with her fiery grey eyes. _Ugh. Katniss never wants to be out of the loop. She always wants to know everything. _

"Katniss, it's not really the nicest place to talk about this." I tell her, giving her a look. _Jeez Katniss, just leave it. _She huffs in response and crosses her arms around her chest, obviously annoyed by being treated like a child.

"Fine. But you will tell me later." She says glaring at me, and goes back to sleep, her head leaning on the hovercraft wall.

"Feisty one isn't she?" Blight says chuckling, amused by me and Katniss' conversation.

"You have no idea!" Haymitch slurs and chuckles, slumping back down in his seat. I play with Katniss' hair and tie knots with it, when the peacekeeper tells us we're back. I shake Katniss' shoulders to wake her up, but she doesn't budge, so I pick her up bridal style and carry her to her room. I lie her in bed and I lay down next to her, playing with her brown locks, while waiting for her to wake up from her nap so we can get to the crowning and the party for Thalia. I turn on the TV in her room, wrapping an arm around her waist with her head still on my chest.

"So! Have you seen the mentor's lounge videos this year Agustus?" A pink haired man says, grinning cheekily at his companion.

"No Frank, can't say that I have! But I bet it was juicy!" Agustus says to Frank, the man with the pink hair.

"Well then, why don't we play the compilation of videos for you and the rest of the Capitol residents!"

"Oh that would be divine! I can't wait for their reactions for this year's games!" Agustus tells Frank, and the screen changes to show the videos. The first video shows Seeder and Mags' reaction when the bloodbath starts, they're close to tears when they see all the children killed. _Typical them. They're such softies, so different compared to me and the other Victors. _After that, it shows Katniss shouting when Hunter says something about her and me trying to calm her it shows another video of Haymitch and Gloss getting drunk and Johanna stripping, _thank God it's censored_, in the back of the room. Then it shows Gloss sitting down on the sofa with Katniss, having an intense conversation. My heart drops when I see this, but I try to calm myself and remember what Johanna said. _She just did it to please him. She didn't want any trouble._ Then the screen flickers to show a clip of the mentors from 2 laughing when Titus kills someone. And finally it shows a clip of me flirting with Katniss and pulling her onto my lap. _Shit. Katniss won't like this. _I hear Katniss mumbling in her sleep, and turn the TV off immediately.

"Peeta, no don't." Katniss mumbles, making me frown. _She still loves Peeta. _"Gale. Hazelle! Shit." She continues on. "Prim! Prim, I'm sorry." She's speaking clearer now. "Hunter! No." She whimpers and pulls me closer to her. She inhales a sharp breathe, "Finnick." She says, sighing lightly and nuzzling her head onto my chest. _She's dreaming about me? Well me and other people but me included? _I grin at her and notice that she's waking up from her nap.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She mutters, looking up at me weirdly.

"You said my name in your sleep." I tell her, waggling my eyebrows and smirking.

"Probably a nightmare Odair." She scoffs, not wanting me to have my victory. _One day Kat. Just wait for it._

"Finnick, where are we? What time is it?" She asks me, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. _She looks cute like that. _

"About 1, we need to get ready for Thalia's interview and party. Who knows how long it'll take our prep team to make us look 'beautiful'. Well I can't say that for me because I'm always beautiful but for you, well it may take some time but don't worry you'll get to it." I joke lightly patting her head. She snorts and rolls her eyes at me and my joke.

"Yeah, yeah sure." She tells me and frees herself from my grip and walks to the door. "Well are you going to come with me? We're going to have to call our stylists and prep team." She calls back to me, and I jump out of bed following her. She calls Cinna and Paige, my stylist to tell her that I'm here and I'll just use Hunter's room to get ready so I won't have to go downstairs. Soon they arrive and pull us to our rooms to get ready, Paige tells me that I'll look ravishing in my outfit tonight, a white button-up covered with a black tuxedo-like jacket and some black pants. I just nod in agreement and the prep team soon go to work after I take a shower, they clip my nails, brush and style my hair and spray cologne on my body. Afterwards they bring out my outfit which I put on in the bathroom, I come out and they look at me with their mouths agape, they're in love or lust with me, their eyes dark and murky with lust. I wink at them, _Capitol Finnick here we go, _and walk out of the room to Katniss' room. I knock on the door, turn the handle and open the door separating me from Katniss, Cinna and her prep team. I walk in to see Katniss in a skin tight red dress, the dress enhancing Katniss' curves in all the right places, and has orange tips on the hem of her dress. Katniss turns around to see me, with my mouth agape looking at her body in that dress and she blushes. My shocked face changes into a smirk, winking at her and stepping towards her.

"You finally look almost as beautiful as me Girl on Fire!" I joke to her, she laughs and rolls her eyes. "But seriously Katniss, you look beautiful. Now shall we?" I ask her, bring my hand out for her reach, she nods and loops my hand with hers. "Thank you for making her look like this." I thank her stylist and her prep team which they just nod and watch me with their mouths hung open, aside from Cinna. I hear one of them whisper to another, "Finnick Odair acknowledged me!" I chuckle and walk out with the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on in my hands. _She's truly the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I'm Finnick Odair. I have seen a lot of beautiful people. _"So Girl on Fire? Do you want me, the Sex God of Panem to be your date for this evening? Or would you prefer Gloss, the boring victor from District 1 to be your date?" I ask her, eyeing her curiously. She scoffs and slaps my chest with the back of her hand. "Jeez Kat, I was just joking, no need to be physical. And if you do want it then I prefer that we get physical on the bed." I purr into her ear using my seductive voice, husky and sweet, dripping with honey. She snorts and rolls her eyes at me, and I just waggle my eyebrows jokingly. "But seriously Katniss, you will be my date tonight right?" I pout at her, "You won't ditch me for Gloss right?" _I think I might just die from embarrassment if she rejects me._

"Of course I'll be your date Finnick. Who else would take you if not for me?" She says in a teasingly joking way while pouting. "And what makes you think that I would go with Gloss?" she asks me, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I saw your interview with Caesar, you guys did look pretty cozy together up there." I tell her in my defence, raising my hands up. She laughs and shakes her head. _What's that supposed to mean? _

"Yeah, well Haymitch doesn't want me causing any trouble and seeing how arrogant Gloss was, I don't think he would handle being rejected by me all too nicely. So I accepted his offer and half of the time I was just trying to restrain myself from damn near killing the man using my bare hands." She says, shrugging at the end. _God I love her attitude. _I laugh and walk her to the mentor's section when the door opens, our hands still looped together. Johanna eyes us and winks at me, giving me a thumbs up which I return by glaring at her. _Is she mad? Katniss is right beside me, she could've seen her. _I walk us up to our chairs and sit beside Katniss, Caesar introduces Thalia to the crowd and asks her a few questions but I zone out all through the interview. When I come back to reality, Thalia is being crowned Victor by Caesar. _Snow never crowns the victors for the Hunger Games, well aside from Katniss anyway. Then again she's always an exception in everything._

"Fishboy! Sweetheart! Let's go to the party, I need some more booze!" Haymitch calls out, I sigh and roll my eyes but still follow him and Katniss. It's mandatory for the mentors to attend the party hosted and congratulate the victor, who in this case is Thalia. I make my way towards Thalia, tugging Katniss along, who seemed not so eager to meet the new Victor.

"Thalia, congratulations!" I tell her, hugging her to keep up with my Capitol act. "We'll be spending plenty of time together for mentoring so I just thought to congratulate you personally." I purr into her ear and I can see goosebumps forming.

"Congratulations." Katniss mumbles, pulling her hand out of her grip and muttering abut going somewhere to find Haymitch.

"Thanks?" Thalia asks, confused with Katniss' behaviour towards the newest victor. She scratches her head and looks at me, staring at my famous sea-green eyes.

"See something you like?" I ask her, chuckling at her cheeks that are now red. Her eyes dart to her shoes, hiding from my sight.

"Um. No. What are you talking about?" She stutters, moving her shoes ands staring intently at them. I laugh at her uneasiness, and shake my head.

"I better go find Katniss. I'll see you when I see you." I tell Thalia, and start walking away.

"Wait!" I turn my head around, seeing Thalia jogging over to me. "Is it true?" She says, cocking her head to the side. I raise an eyebrow in question, _what is she trying to ask? _"You know! About you and Katniss Everdeen!" She says, giving me a 'isn't-it-obvious' look. _What? Me and Katniss?_ "My prep team said that you guys are dating!" _Ha. I wish._

"No, it's not true. Don't worry, Katniss and I are just good friends." I tell her with a wink. There's a tint of red on her cheeks but she gives out a small laugh.

"Guess nobody can tame the fiery Katniss Everdeen after all." She says, shaking her head laughing. "Anyways I have to go meet Blight." Thalia says and walks away, leaving me in the crowd. I sigh and look around for Katniss, _Where the hell could she be? _I sigh and ask Johanna but she hasn't seen her anywhere. That's when it hits me. _The bar. Haymitch is always at the bar getting some booze. _I walk over to the bar and spot a dark haired girl sitting on a stool with a guy, making out. I squint my eyes and walk faster to get a better look. It's Katniss. Making out with Gloss. I feel a growl emit from my mouth and I stomp my way to the bar. _Fucking Gloss. If that asshole hurts Katniss, I swear to god. _I pull them apart from each other and stare at Katniss in disbelief. _What happened to almost killing Gloss? _She giggles and looks at me with a grin on her face.

"I won. I drank more shots and I was quicker! Not to bad for a District 12 'scum' huh Steroids?" Katniss slurs to Gloss who just chuckles and grins at her. _She's drunk. Of course! That's why she was making out with Gloss. _

"Let's go Katniss. I think it's time for you to go to bed." I tell Katniss, wrapping her arm around my shoulder for support.

"Stop it Finnick! I am not a child! Stop treating me like one!" She says and tries to push me away, only to fall flat on the ground. I rush to her side, checking for any wounds but find her knee bloody and scraped. I growl when I see Gloss helping her up and push him away, picking her up bridal style and walk up to the elevator, pressing the number 12 button and waiting.

"Finnick! Put me down! I am not a child!" She glares at me and tries to escape from my hold. When the elevator door opens, I walk to her room and lay her on her bed. She huffs in response and rolls her eyes. I notice something red on her bed sheet, _Fuck. I forgot about her knee. _I ask an avox for a medical kit and tell her to stay still, she is reluctant about it but finally says yes. _Oh Kat. Always wants to be the one protecting and taking care of others, never wanting to be taken care of. _When the avox comes and brings the medical kit, I thank him and grab it and rush to Katniss, kneeling down on the floor and putting her knee on the end of the bed so I can inspect it. I get some cotton and rub it on the wound, Katniss winces a little but keeps on a poker face, _Typical Katniss, never wanting to look weak. _After cleaning the wound, I grab a bandage from the medical kit and cover the wound with it. I quickly pack up the medical kit neatly and put it aside for the avox to get in the morning.

"See? Wasn't that bad was it?" I tell her smirking, she just rolls her eyes and gets under the covers.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you Doctor Odair. NOW can I go to sleep?" My eyes lighten at the her response and I smirk cheekily.

"So you like to do role-play huh? Kinky." I purr, my lips curling into a seductive smirk. She smacks the back of my head and shakes her head, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Geez Kat, no need to get so physical." I tell her, rubbing the part of my head where she hit me. _Didn't we have this conversation before? _"Well we are on the bed, never mind then. I don't mind getting physical with you." I tell her, waggling my eyebrows teasingly.

"Ha-Ha. Thanks but no thanks Finnick. I don't think you could handle me." She says, scoffing and snuggling her head onto the pillow.

"Is that a challenge?" I ask her, and pounce on top of her. She shrieks in shock, but after a few seconds, flips us around, her body hovering over mine.

"See? What did I tell you?" She says cockily and laughs, pulling a strand of hair back behind her ear. I growl and pulls her hands onto the back of my neck and flip us over once again. She huffs in response which causes me to smile in victory. I chuckle and check the time on the clock. 9_ P.M, it's not that late. _Seeing how I was distracted, Katniss flips us over and locks my feet using hers and puts my hands above my head using one of her hands. Her face is right above mine, a cocky smirk plastered right across her face. _Did not see that one coming. _

"Jeez Kat, we haven't even gone on one date yet!" I tell her, smirking in victory when a blush creeps onto her face. "You sure are unpredictable, aren't you?" I smirk but knock her feet using my knees breaking free from her trap. We play-fight for a few minutes but finally once she's out of breathe, I straddle her waist, trapping her underneath me.

"Ugh, if I didn't drink I would've won. So keep that cocky grin off your face Odair." She huffs out breathless. I chuckle looking at the Girl on Fire who just lost, _never one too keen on losing huh Kat? _She blushes when she notices how close we are, my chest hovering above her's and my face just inches away from her's. _God she looks beautiful. _My eyes inspect her face, from the cut above her eyebrow until her small nose, but then it fixes its gaze onto her fully luscious pink lips. Without thinking, I smash my lips into her, kissing her with the passion I have withheld from her all this time. She's hesitant at first but I finally feel her kiss back, and I smile into the kiss. I feel sparks in my heart, _she's my missing puzzle piece. _Her lips fit perfectly with mine, she tastes minty. She pulls back from the kiss and I already miss her touch, nonetheless I feel a smile plastered on my face. She blushes and goes under the covers, ready to sleep. _I can't believe I kissed her. _I touch my lips, still tingling after the interaction with Katniss' lips. I smile and lay down next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close to my chest. I kiss the top of her head and stroke her hair. "Night Finnick." She yawns, and pulls up the covers to cover her body, _Goodnight my Girl on Fire. _After I'm certain that she's asleep, I slip my arm away from her waist and slowly get out of bed, I find a piece of paper and a pen inside the drawer in her bedside table. _To my Girl on Fire, I'm going out on an appointment. I'll meet you for lunch at the seafood restaurant in front of the Training Centre. Love, your Fishboy. _I fold the paper and place it on top of her drawer and slip out of her room, closing the door quietly. I walk over to the elevator and press the floor number for the mentor's lounge, but sometimes the victors who have the same job as I do, wait for their appointments and talk to each other there.

"I already had 3 in a row! Now I have another one at 11!" I hear someone say, and a knife whizzes past me, hitting the metal elevator wall. I chuckle and walk out to see who the voice belongs to, _Glimmer. _"Oh nice of you to join us Finnick! Where's little miss innocent Katniss Everdeen?" She sneers at me, throwing another knife at the wall.

"She's sleeping." I tell her, slumping down on the sofa near Johanna.

"Why the fuck is she not a prostitute like we all are? If anything, she's more fucking beautiful than all of the other victor's!" Gloss exclaims, receiving a growl from Cashmere.

"Shut the fuck up Gloss."

I don't dare to say a word, so I just keep quiet and listen. _It is true though, Katniss is the most beautiful Victor, well aside from me. _

"It's just because Fishbrains over here decided to make a bargain with Snow! He agreed to get more appointments, in exchange for Katniss not having to be like us! Romantic isn't it?" Johanna slurs, throwing an arm around my shoulder. I growl and push her away, _Johanna and her big mouth. She just had to slip it out when she was drunk! _

"She's young, she deserves to live freely and not have to worry about any appointments and how to please the Capitol citizens." I tell everyone, glaring at them and daring them to say anything.

"Finnick, she's 18. She's as old as you are." Blight speaks up, I turn around shocked by his presence. _God, I didn't even notice he was there. _

"She's too important to be sold as a prostitute." I start off, Cashmere is about to intercept but I glare at her, silencing her. "She's the fucking mockingjay for Christ's sake. She the symbol of the god damn rebellion. I'm not going to let that be ruined just because Snow's twisted enough to sell her for his own profit." I tell them, sighing and slumping further down into the sofa. "Whatever, I need to get to an appointment." I tell them and walk off outside and hail a cab. I tell the driver the address for the hotel and sit back, dreading for the next hour to come. _I was supposed to have the month off, but since I bargained for Katniss' freedom I had to sacrifice my break from 'work'. But it's worth it. Everything's worth it for Katniss._

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**AN: Ooh, Katniss and Finnick shared their first kiss! Reviews = Love**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Thank you guys for all the reviews I got! They made me feel loads better! I always love hearing what you have got to say. Reviews = Love and more chapters!**

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Katniss' POV

"Ugh. What happened last night? " I groan, waking up and holding my head. _God, is it morning already?_ I look to my side and find no one beside me, probably why it's so cold right now. _Where the hell is Finnick? Oh god. I think Finnick and I kissed last night. _With that, the memories start to flood in, the competition with Gloss, meeting Thalia and yes, kissing Finnick Odair.I groan and get out of bed, _God I'm so stupid. I'm not going to fall for Finnick just like those Capitol girls_. I notice a small white piece of paper on my bedside table, _Finnick want's to have lunch with me? Great. Another journey with the paparazzi. I hope he doesn't remember us kissing last night. I'll just pretend nothing ever happened. _I groan and slowly get into the shower, stripping of my now sweaty and sticky clothes off of my body and getting under the warm, soothing flow of water. _I'm not looking forward to lunch. God know's I hate the fucking attention. And now with the paparazzi trying to catch a glimpse of the Girl on Fire? Who was left by her District 12 lover? It makes me sick to see how twisted and delusional they are, without them even noticing! _After I finish showering, I go to my wardrobe and pick a simple yellow dress that doesn't show off too much skin. I tie my hair in a bun and apply some mascara and eyeliner on me, _I hope Effie doesn't see me and criticise my choice of clothing to go out in public. _I look at my clock and see it's already 11.45, _time to go. _I get to the elevator and hit the ground floor button, adjusting my heels. _And to think after all those interviews this would get easier. _I sigh and walk out of the training centre, the paparazzi already swarming around me trying to catch a glimpse and take a picture of me.

"Is it true that Hunter Dawn is your cousin?"

"Are you and Gloss Beckham together?"

"How are you coping with Peeta, Abby and now Hunter?"

The last question really got to me, but I don't show any change of expression. I have mastered masking my emotions since my father died, now no one knows how I usually truly feel. Well aside from Haymitch and probably Gale. I continue to walk and duck my head from the blinding flash of the cameras and finally get to the restaurant. When I walk up there I can see no one there, _is it even open?_

"Ms. Katniss Everdeen? Follow me please." The waitress tells me, _what the hell? _She opens the door to reveal Finnick in a black button-up and black pants, standing up next to what I presume is our table.

"Finally decide to honour me in your presence?" Finnick asks me, chuckling and pulling a chair for me to sit on.

"Wouldn't want the precious Capitol Heartthrob sitting alone, now wouldn't we?" I retort back, scoffing at his sarcastic comment. He chuckles at my comment and the waitress brings us our food, _guess he must've ordered for me. _I dig in my delicious food and focus entirely on the delicious food served on the plate in front of me. Finnick chuckles and soon does the same, but eating at a slow pace chewing and savouring each bite. _This entire meal could feed Prim, mother and me back in 12. _After Finnick and I finish our food, the waitress comes over bringing 2 plates of chocolate cake. She giggles and flirts with Finnick and I glare at her, signalling her to leave us alone.

"Jealous much Kat?" Finnick says, chuckling and waggling his eyebrows. _Ugh, now he thinks I like him._

"Keep that smirk off your face Odair. Just trying to warn her from not messing with you and your dangerously obsessive fans." I retort back, snorting. _To hell with him and his obnoxious ways. _

"It's okay. I would be jealous too. And anyway, jealousy looks good on you." He says with a smirk. Before I can respond he cuts me off, "So, last night. Pretty fun huh?" He says, winking at me. _Shit, I think he's talking about the kiss._

Finnick's POV

"So, last night. Pretty fun huh?" I ask her, winking at her now flushed face. I couldn't stop thinking of her last night. The appointment was like any other, pleasurable for the client and hell for me. The thought of her lips against mine, like yesterday, the tingling sensation still lingering on my lips.

"Actually, I can't seem to remember anything! Must've been because of the drinking." She says shortly, taking a bite out of the cake. _She doesn't remember the kiss. _I feel my heart break a little, but I keep my mask on, just like I do with my clients.

"Oh you're missing out! It was certainly, amusing." I purr, seductively smiling into her. _Come one Katniss. Remember the kiss, remember last night. _

"Yeah, well I don't remember anything." She snarled, _what's her problem? _

"Okay then. So we have a few months before the next reaping. And since we're mentors, we can travel to any district we like!" I tell her, but she just listens to me not seeing why I'm telling her this. "Katniss, I want you to come see District 4." I tell her, her eyes wide shocked with my suggestion. "Just for a week! I want to introduce you to Mags, Killian, my parents and some of my friends." I explain, _Please say yes. I don't think I'll be able to keep myself sane without you. _She's hesitant, and I can see herself debating in her head.

"Fine." She finally answers, breaking the silence. _She said yes? Yes! _My eyes lighten up and I have the biggest grin on my face. "Only if," my giddiness is cut short, _what could she want? _"Only if, you come to District 12 with me for a week too." She finishes, _2 weeks with her? God yes! _I grin, nodding my head with so much excitement that I think I could be mistaken for a bobble head. I ask the waitress for the check and give her some money, and leave with Katniss. It's surprisingly quiet outside of the restaurant, now empty without the paparazzi, not that I'm complaining. I can feel Katniss shiver from the cold wind and I wrap my arms around her waist, sharing my body heat. Katniss smiles at me thankfully and comes closer, walking slowly with me.

"It's the Sea Green Eyes and the Girl on Fire!" Someone shouts, and then the paparazzi assemble, swarming around us and bombarding us with questions. _The Sea Green Eyes? How creative. _I duck my head, along with Katniss and keep on walking.

"Katniss! Over here!"

"Finnick, come on don't be shy!"

"Katniss, what about Gloss Beckham?"

"Are you cheating on him?"

I growl silently and pull Katniss closer to me protectively, the thought of her and Gloss bugged me. We finally managed to get back to the Training Centre without getting ripped to shreds by the overly-enthusiastic fans and the paparazzi.

"Don't we have one more interview with Caesar today before we leave?" She asks me, pushing the number 4 button on the elevator. _Shit, I almost forgot. _Sensing my forgetfulness she sighs, "I'll call Cinna and Paige. Can I get ready on your floor?" I nod, and get out of the elevator with her trailing behind closely. I show her Mags' room, she went back to 4 after Luke and the girl died. The prep team were chattier than usual, talking about something that had happened earlier today. I didn't care too much so I didn't bother to listen it, I just slept a little while they were doing my hair. When they woke me up, I looked god-like, _but let's face it. When am I not? _I see Katniss in the living room with a tight black dress, showing a lot of her skin. I can see Katniss' anger and frustration towards Cinna's choice of clothing, evident in her frown.

"Cinna said President Snow chose this for me himself and urged Cinna to make me wear it tonight." She explains before I get to ask her.

"Well I'll send my thanks to him. You look absolutely heavenly in that dress." I tell her, licking my lips while eyeing her up and down in that dress of hers. She smacks the back of my head.

"Eyes up here, Odair" She snarls, pointing to her eyes. I chuckle and tug her into the elevator, pressing the ground floor button. "Why aren't you wearing anything that shows skin? Don't want to disappoint your lovers do you?" She says teasingly and I laugh, she knows it doesn't bug me when she says it. She knows so much about me and I know so little about her. _Then again, it is Katniss. She builds up walls so that she doesn't get hurt. Katniss. Always the mysterious one. _

"What's the matter Katniss? Disappointed that you wouldn't be able to see some of this tonight?" I ask her, pulling up my button-up and coat to reveal my rock-hard, toned abs. I smirk when I see her mouth agape, her eyes wide and glued to my abs. She glared at me and pulls my button-up and coat down back to it's place.

"Don't flatter yourself Odair." She snarls, glaring at me.

"Now, now Katniss. Play nice." I tell her chuckling. I loop my hands with her and leave the elevator and go backstage. Katniss has her interview first, they're starting the interviews from District 12 first today. She talks about how she can't wait to see Prim and that she's sorry for Hunter and Abby's parents and sorry for disappointing them. She then talks about how she'll miss the Capitol and the beautiful people. Now that's a crowd pleaser, everyone cheers and claps. I can see some tears and tissue boxes appear in the crowd, they're crying. _They're crying because they'll miss Katniss. They think she likes them. Oh, how wrong they are. _Katniss then is excused and the remaining mentor's have their interviews. Johanna and Blight don't have to do their interviews because their tribute won and they already had an interview with Caesar privately that was aired.

"Mr. Odair, you're up." I hear the technician call out to me. _It's my turn already? _I nod and walk on stage, the crowd cheering and shouting my name, quite similar to when Katniss was up here.

"Ah! Finnick Odair! What a pleasure!" Caesar starts off, shaking my hands and laughing. I nod and give him my famous Finnick Odair smile, which receive another bunch of love-sick screams. "So, Finnick. What are you going to do after you leave the Capitol?" Caesar asks me, _Go back and spend time with Katniss, _I think happily. I can't help but smile at the thought and I realize Caesar is still waiting for me to answer.

"Well Caesar, I think I'm just going to go back to District 4. Meet my brother, Killian, and my parents. I've got to admit, I miss my mother and her home-made chowder." I tell him, licking my lips for dramatic effect.

"Anyone else? A girlfriend perhaps?" Caesar asks, leaning forwards with intrigue.

"Nope. No girlfriend Caesar. Any of you ladies interested?." I purr seductively to the crowd. It sickens me, how I have to act like this with everyone I met, even men like Caesar. The ladies in the crowd stand and scream out my name, their eyes darkened with lust for me. Caesar finally manages to calm them down and to restore order. "But Caesar, I've got to say that I do have my eyes out for someone." I purr seductively, into his ear._ I don't know how Snow will respond to this._

"And who might that be?" Caesar asks, chuckling but his eyes still focused onto me.

"I receive secrets Caesar, I don't give them out." I tell him,winking at the crowd who respond in a cheer. _Lovesick bastards. _

"Well, I have a few pictures of you and Katniss Everdeen looking pretty cozy after your date at noon today." He tells me, a few pictures of me having an arm around Katniss's waist protectively show up on the screen above Caesar. "Could it be Katniss Everdeen? Could she be the woman who finally stole Finnick Odair's heart? He asks me, leaning forwards once again. _The woman who FINALLY stole Finnick Odair's heart? Yes, that does sound like Katniss. She's the one person who does the impossible after all. _

"Maybe Caesar. She truly is beautiful and I would be an idiot for not seeing how good of a person she is. Anyone would be crazy not to like her." I tell him, with a wink. The crowd seem baffled by my confession, some are shouting insults about Katniss, saying that she's just a District 12 scum and that she isn't that beautiful. _She's more beautiful than anyone else I have met. Probably the most beautiful person in Panem. Okay, not person because well that's me. She's the most beautiful woman in Panem. _I try to fix my mistake and please the Capitol citizens once again, "But now me and Katniss are just friends. Nothing more. Don't worry." I tell them, winking and smirking seductively towards them. Caesar laughs his distinctive laugh and dismisses me and continues on with Beete and Wiress from District 3.

"What the hell Finnick! What happened to 'sleeping with someone who is in a relationship isn't something that people look forward to in the Capitol'? Snow will kill you now!" Katniss shouts furiously at me, her eyes burning with the fire trapped inside her.

"They had pictures of us Katniss! I had to go along with my Capitol image, the flirty victor from 4. I'm sorry if I offended you or anything." I tell her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

"God you're an idiot you know that? I'm just worried for your sake Fishboy." She says, rolling her eyes at me. I give her a crooked smile and kiss her on top of her forehead. _She's worried for me. She doesn't care that I practically just said I like her. Well that or she didn't understand what I was implying from that. Well with Katniss, it's probably the latter. _"Come on. The train leaving for District 4 is leaving in 10 minutes, we better get there. I already told Haymitch I'm going to District 4 for a week and not to fuck up too much while I'm gone." She says walking in front of me. We get to the train and it's empty as usual, only mentors and the tributes use these trains, and since Luke or the girl isn't here, it's just me and Katniss. We get on the train and find the bedroom to lay down, we've already eaten dinner so we're all ready for sleep.

"So want to continue our game of 21 questions?" I ask her, yawning. She nods, coming back in a loose blue dress from the bathroom. I strip out of my tuxedo, just into my boxers leaving my chest exposed, causing Katniss to blush.

"Tell me about Prim" I tell her, causing her face to light up at the mention of her dear sister's name.

"Prim, Prim is perfect. She has light blue eyes and long, wavy blonde hair. Everyone loves her so much. She's so kind and bubbly, she has a kind heart, a big smile and a great personality. She brings out the best out of people and she has the ability to steal heart. Everyone she meets can't help but love her. She's just that loveable. I spent all my life making sure that she would live and she had everything she needed; the necessities in life. She's everything to me. When my father died, my mother was in a trance. She was quiet and dismissive, almost like she wasn't there. Prim was only 5, she didn't know anything yet and she was just a kid. I had to hunt and become the backbone in the family, and that's where I met Gale. We hunted together, we created this bond because both our families were hungry and suffering and we had to rely on our hunting skills to feed them and make sure they would live. Prim was the first person I truly loved, aside from my father." She explains, tears starting to form in her eyes. My heart clenches at the mention of Gale and their bond but I shake it aside and focus on her and her sister. _She truly loves her sister. Her life is basically dedicated to Prim. _I hug her supportively and give her a small smile which she returns thankfully. "How about you? Killian's your brother right?" She asks me, wiping the tears off her face.

"Yeah, Killian's my younger brother. He's 17 and he looks just like my mother. Blue eyes and brown hair, tall frame but still shorter than me. He's stubborn yet likeable. Smart yet gullible. He's everything I love and hate in a person, but I guess it's always like that with brothers. Killian and I used to be close, we were inseparable at a time. But after I was reaped, everyone told me Killian shut off, just like Annie. He didn't talk to anyone aside from my parents and just stayed at home. But when I won my games and got back, he didn't talk to me anymore. No, he couldn't even look at me in the eye, he was disappointed in me. He was mad that I killed all those children in my games, and I don't blame him. He's smart for hating me, even I hate myself." I tell her, she silences me.

"Finnick, you had to do what you did to survive. You had to be a piece in their games. You're just like me, we can't afford to think about how we'll look like because we needed to survive for our loved ones." She said, _I'm glad she thinks that way about me. And I'm glad she played her part and came back to her loved ones. Her loved ones and me. _I just nod in agreement and hung my head, looking down at the bedsheets.

"My parent's were more accepting over the fact that I killed 12 children to survive. They were so proud of me and they boasted about their handsome son, the victor from District 4'. They were so caught up with me, that they forgot all about Killian at the time. After a year of mentoring, things started to slowly get back to the way they were. Now Killian acknowledges me and my parents are now loving to both me and Killian. Killian still looks at me with despise, I think he knows about my line of work. But what can I do? I have to do what I do for them." I tell her, sighing heavily after my long explanation. _I hope Killian responds well to Katniss staying over. _"Then again, maybe he's just mad that I'm the good-looking one in the family." I say jokingly, waggling my eyebrows.

"Of course Finnick, who wouldn't be oh-so-jealous of your beauty?" She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes at my comment. _Hey, it's true. Who wouldn't be jealous over my looks?_

**AN: What do you think of the new chapter? Was it OOC that Finnick asked Katniss to visit his district? I want to make the characters similar to the ones in the book but kind of develop it a bit more and show the different sides to them. So I'm sorry if it's a bit OOC. Review! Review! Review! REVIEWS = LOVE AND MORE CHAPTERS!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: REVIEWS PLEASE! (sorry if I sound pushy but they are encouraged!)**

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We arrive District 4 at dawn, the rose-pink light of dawn shining above the buildings of District 4. We are escorted back to my house, where Katniss will be staying, by four peacekeepers, trying to hold off the obsessive fans from hurdling towards us and shredding us to pieces. My house is similar to Katniss' house in Victor Village, it was big and was decorated in green, blue and white furniture, sea-themed since we did live in District 4.

"Finnick!" I hear a woman squeal, _my mother, _she comes running and throws her hands around me. I hug her back, missing the motherly warmth and sense of security that is there when she's around. I pull back and hug my father, who was well-built for his age, the stubble on his chin now more visible than when I had left. When I pull back from the hug my father steps aside, revealing Killian standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He looks up and meets my eyes, stepping forward and extending his hand to shake hands with me.

"Finnick." He says sternly, shaking my hand firmly.

"Killian." I reply, looking at him with confusion. _He hasn't said a word to me since my games. _I shake my head and step aside, pulling Katniss to my side. "This is Katniss, she's from District 12. She'll be staying with us for awhile with us." I explain to them. My father nods and shakes her hand meanwhile my mother hugs her and expresses her regret over Peeta's death. Katniss smiles sadly at my mother and looks at me, _I hope Killian doesn't say anything offensive and rude. I swear to God if he does, well let's just say he wouldn't want to meet Victor Finnick. _

"Katniss. Nice to meet you." Killian says, extending his hand to shake with Katniss'. My eyes are wide with shock, _I did not expect him to respond this way to her, but I'm glad. _

"Come on Kat, let me show you your room and the rest of the house." I tell her, tugging her hand with mine. _We're probably going to share a room to fend off the nightmares. But I won't say anything that might give my parents the wrong impression. _I take her to my room and put our bags in the corner of my room.

"You can take a shower there," I tell her, pointing to my bathroom. "I'll bring us something to eat." She nods and mutters a thank you and goes into the bathroom, towel in hand. I hear the water running and take it as my cue to leave to get the food.

"So, Katniss?" My father asks me, taking a sip of coffee out of his mug. I hear my mother giggle softly from beside him, looking at me over her magazine.

"No. She and I are just friends." I tell him, grabbing some bread and 2 mugs of hot chocolate. My father quirks one eyebrow up, "We're just close friends dad, nothing more." I tell him with a hint of disappointment in my voice. My father seems to catch up on this and leaves me alone. I go upstairs and find Katniss with her hunting pants on and a black shirt, her hair still dripping wet. "I got us some bread and hot chocolate. While you eat, I think I'm going to take a shower." I tell her and excuse myself to the bathroom. The buttons are exactly the same with the ones in the Training Centre, but having to go there every year I'm already familiar with what I have to press and what I should avoid pressing. I rub some sea-scented soap on my body and some shampoo and conditioner on my hair. I rinse it off using the warm water, sighing heavily and leaning against the wet tiles of the bathroom wall. _It feels nice, getting away from all the attention and pressure. Just being myself. I can only do that by myself and Katniss, of course. _I come out of the bathroom and put on some green shorts and a white shirt, _the perks of living in District 4. You can dress as simple and casual as possible and no one will look at you like you're some kind of freak. Not that the Capitol isn't already full of freaks that is. _I go back to my room, grabbing a bread roll and start to munch on it. "So, what do you wanna do today? How about I show you around town? Maybe go to the beach?" I ask her, already excited with all the things we can do today. I start planning all the things we'll do in my head and she laughs lightly and rolls her eyes.

"Sure Finnick, whatever you want." She says flatly, rolling her eyes in amusement over my childish behaviour. "Maybe after that we can go to the playground and pick dandelions!" She says in fake excitement. I pretend to be hurt, my hand clutching just over my heart.

"That hurt. Wow Katniss. I was just being excited." I tell her, pouting and lowering my head.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever Fishboy. Let's go show me around." She says, tying her hair back into a high ponytail. _Even without makeup, she looks beautiful. _

"Okay, let's go charm everyone with my presence and charisma." I tell her teasingly walking out the door. I show her around town, the popular shops I go to, the cafe I usually meet my friends and finally get to the beach. It's around 5 P.M., the creamy beach sand warm against my feet, the sea breeze cool and calm. I look over to Katniss, her soft brown hair flying because of the wind. I sigh in pleasure of this moment, _The beach and Katniss. It's all so perfect. _"It's beautiful isn't it?" I ask her, looking at the soft, delicate features.

"Yeah." She sighs, but when she notices that I'm referring to her not to the sea by looking at her with so much intent, she blushes and looks down to her feet. "I wish Prim and I could have grown up by the sea."

"I wish I could have met you sooner." I tell her, giving a sincere smile, _I rarely give out sincere smiles, they never reach my eyes. Thank god the people from the Capitol are too caught up with themselves to notice._ "Come on, we're missing the sunset." I tell her, tugging her hand forward to follow me to the edge of the beach, just where the water starts to come out to the sand. We sat down, leaning on our hands and looking out at the sea, the tides pulling and pushing the water to and from the soft-creamy sand which divided the water from land. The sun drowned in the horizon, it's rays of light glistened in the newly-found darkness of the clouds that faded and the pale moon revealed itself to us. The sky was painted an array of pink, orang and yellow, it looked serene and relaxing. I wish I could stay in this moment forever, Katniss beside me was all I could ever have wanted, and being in District 4, in front of this beautiful scene was just a bonus. _But I have to face facts, if Katniss asked me to go with her anywhere at all, I would go without even hesitating. _

"Peeta loved sunsets. He loved the colour of the sky when the sun was setting. He once saw a flash of green light before the sun was fully gone and he took it in his interest to see that flash of green light again. But I guess he won't ever be able to do that again." Katniss tells me, her hands playing with the creamy sand beneath us. There was obvious pain in her hoarse voice, agitation in her words. I sigh and pull her up to her feet, _I'm going to make it my goal to make her laugh. She's always so serious. _

"Come on. Let's meet Mags and my friends." I tell her, _No doubt Caspian and Tom will flirt with her. But she's probably will just brush them off. I hope she's nice to Mags though. She's like another mother to me. _When I get back to my house, Mags and my friends, Caspian, Tom and Oceane are already there. Oceane is my childhood friend, she's not-too girly but not a tomboy like Johanna is, and she's very nice. She has black hair and brown eyes, she's skinny and tall. Caspian and Tom are brothers, they're both buff and tall, they have brown hair and orange eyes that look like the sun when it's setting.

"Finnick! Long time no see!" Caspian shouts from the kitchen, lifting his bottle of beer up to my direction. Tom comes over to hug me, "You're Katniss Everdeen!" He comes to realisation, "Nice to meet you." He says, planting a kiss on her hand. She pulls her hand away and wipes it on her shirt.

"Can't say the same about you." She says, disturbed by his gesture. Oceane laughs at Tom and comes over to hug me.

"I'm glad you're back." She tells me, hugging me even tighter. _For such a skinny little girl, she sure is strong. _"And Katniss, don't mind him. He's usually nice enough, once he's accepted the fact that you only want to be friends with him." Katniss laughs and Oceane glares at Tom who now look's pretty pissed off at Oceane.

"Buzzkill." Tom mutters and goes over to the kitchen to get a beer. Mags hobbles over to me and Katniss and kisses my cheek, patting it afterwards with a knowing smile on her face. Katniss smiles at her and hugs her, _I love how Katniss is good with Mags._ Mags mutters something to Katniss, which I don't hear and Katniss laughs and nods.

"Yes, he sure is a handful." She says, rolling her eyes. _Why do I get the feeling that they're talking about me? _Mags laughs and pats her cheek, giving me a thumbs up then leaving us alone.

"I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you in the morning." Katniss tells me and heads upstairs to my, well our room. I smile and watch her go upstairs, analysing her movements, she's stealthy and so cautious, the beautiful dark huntress revealing herself in front of my eyes.

"She sure is something Finn." Tom says, raising an eyebrow at me. I chuckle and sit down on a stool near the kitchen.

"Too bad she doesn't know you like her." Oceane says in a sing-song voice, _fuck. How'd she find out. Play it cool Finnick. You can't let them know._

"Like her? She's just a friend and as the Capitol's heartthrob, I get to show her around and accompany her." I say teasingly, winking at them. Their eyes widen with the realisation of what I was trying to imply, _They think I just want to fuck her. _I shrug and look around for Mags, t_hank god she already went home._

"You haven't changed after all have you?" Killian speaks out accusingly, sneering at me. "You're just like all the other victors, in exception to Katniss. Self-centred jerks who only want a good fuck." He spits out, stomping out of the room. I sigh, _He just had to make a scene didn't he? _I decide to go to sleep so I say my goodbyes to my friends and walk up to my room. Katniss was already there, curled up and her hair scattered everywhere, framing her face perfectly. I lay down closely beside her and she unconsciously snuggles to my side, chuckling I wrap an arm around her waist and fall effortlessly into a lovely sleep.

Katniss' POV

It turns out that Finnick had appointments even in District 4, so he had to leave me for a few days by myself to attend his appointments. I usually just stayed in the room, sometimes going downstairs to get some food.

"Hello Katniss." Killian greets me, pulling a chair back for him to sit in front of me in the kitchen. I glare at him, _how dare he talk to me when he treats Finnick like that. What makes me so different from Finnick? I've killed children to survive too, why is he talking to me?_ "Enjoy your stay?" He asks me politely, grabbing a mug of hot chocolate. I ignore him, taking a bite out of my pancakes in front of me. "Hello? Katniss?"

"Sorry, I don't have time for people who think all victors kill children for fun." I spit out coldly, returning my focus on the my pancakes in front of me.

"I never said that."

"Whatever. You know what, killing children is the worst thing I've ever done. But I did it to survive, so I could get back to my family. Get back to my little sister, Prim. I don't care what you think of me, so don't get too full of yourself yet. I just don't want you having to pretend like you like me, like you like us victors." I tell him, getting out of my chair to leave. _I don't know why I'm so mad at him. But it's true. I couldn't afford standing up against the Capitol in my games, I had to become a piece of their games in order to survive for Prim. _

"Katniss! Wait." Killian calls out to me, grabbing my wrist which I pull back harshly immediately. "You're different. Maybe I have misjudged Finnick but it was just because I couldn't get over the fact that he killed 12 children. I know he did that to survive and to come back to me and my parents." His voice softens when he confesses. My eyes soften and I take in his presence fully. "I just need someone to talk to." He admits, looking down at his shoes not daring to meet my eyes. I sigh and nod, _he's just a lost kid. His brother had to kill so many children and he couldn't take the fact. If Prim did that, I don't know what I would do._

"Come on, let's go to the beach. I'm getting sick of being indoors." I tell him, he looks up and smiles cheekily like a child. We walk together to the beach, sharing stories about our families and conversing in small talk about Finnick and our games. Killian turned out to be a nice person who even tolerated my witty and sarcastic profile, laughing whenever I said something sarcastic to him. The next few days were spent with me and Killian talking about almost everything, Finnick was still busy with appointments, has been for 3 days now. Killian showed me around town, his family's boat and his secret hideout when Finnick was in his games. I pitied Killian, he was so misunderstood and he wanted to make amends with Finnick, but never knew how to. Finally after 5 days without Finnick, he was off-duty and free to spend some time with me, and hopefully now Killian. I finally persuaded Killian to apologize to Finnick, it took a lot of persuasion and witty comments, which he felt offended by, but at the end he agreed.

"Finn. Look, I'm sorry. I was a jerk and I didn't know what to act cause I couldn't get over the fact that you killed 12 children. When you were gone, Katniss made me realize that you didn't have a choice and-" Finnick cuts Killian off by pulling him into a man-hug and patting his back.

"It's fine." He says with a smile, pulling back and walking to my side. "Thanks Kat." He tells me, squeezing my hand. I smile weakly at him. Our train leaves at noon and it's now 4 P.M., Killian's pretty down but I roll my eyes when he say's his parting words.

"You know there's something called visiting right?" I ask him sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "I'll visit you sometime. Now stop acting like such a brat." He laughs loudly, which makes Finnick and his parents turn and glance warily at us. Finnick raises and eyebrow but I just shrug to tell him it's nothing.

"Look Katniss, for all it's worth you're my best friend. When you're around I can be myself, I'm more open and nicer. Thanks for that." He tells me, hugging me tightly. _God this guy has a strong grip. _

"Glad to be of assistance." I tell him and pull back from the hug. Finnick comes over to us and eyes us suspiciously.

"God, it's like everyones hitting on you! Now there's one more person to have as competition! Jeez Kat, you really are a piece of work." Finnick says jokingly, wrapping an arm around me protectively. "So little brother, thinking of stealing her from me?" He asks Killian who now looks amused by his jealous brother. _Finnick's not jealous. We're just close friends. He's probably just being protective, he doesn't want to see me get hurt. _

"Nah, we're just best friends. And to think I would never see the day Finnick Odair get jealous! And Katniss Everdeen is the cause!" Killian guffaws.

"If anything, Katniss should be jealous of all the screaming women out for me." Finnick retorts back, waggling his eyebrows and smirking at me.

"Which is why we're alone right now in this deserted train station." I tell him, picking up my bag. Finnick chuckles and shakes his head in amusement, grabbing his bag for his stay at District 12.

"Well we better get going. See you in a week!" Finnick says to his family, getting on the train.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you. I really appreciate it." I tell his parents, Finnick's mom hugs me and his dad pats me on the shoulder. Killian runs and hugs me, lifting me up in the air. I scowl at him and board the train, _District 12, here we come._

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**AN: Short chapter, sorry :( I'm sick but I'll keep writing for you guys! Thank you for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! REVIEW! Reviews = Love**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: It's my mom's birthday so I might upload a little late tomorrow! Anyways, here's chapter 13 and thank you for all the reviews you guys sent! I love getting reviews! Review = Love**

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Katniss' POV

The train ride lasted about 6 hours since we were using the high-tech trains from the Capitol, going 250 miles per hour. Finnick and I were asleep for the whole trip, exhausted from packing and going around District 4 with Killian for the last time. When I woke up Finnick was already eating breakfast, rattling on about how he's excited to see District 12 for the first time and all the beautiful women. I laugh inwardly and just nod, _he's going to be so shocked when he sees District 12._

"Oh we're here!" Finnick shouts, jumping up and running to the door grabbing his bag from the floor. I follow him outside and he's there with his mouth shut, looking at my district. I widen my eyes in surprise when I see a crowd beneath the train platform and the mayor there with Madge, the train station decorated with ribbons and pink flowers. _What the hell?_ The girls in the crowd erupt into screams and squeals when they see Finnick and their hands flailing above their heads to touch him. _Of course. _"From the Capitol to District 12. What can I say Kat? Everyone loves me." Finnick whispers huskily in my ear making me shudder at the contact of his warm breath on my skin. I roll my eyes and walk in front of him to greet Madge only to be stopped by the mayor.

"Welcome back Ms. Everdeen! And welcome to Finnick Odair! We hope you enjoy your stay here and if you need anything, just ask me or my secretary in the Justice Building." He tells Finnick, shaking hands with him. _Everyone just loves you, don't they? _I try to get passed the mayor but he blocks me every time. "Oh no Ms. Everdeen, you must leave with the peacekeepers. Who knows what the crowd might do to you and Mr. Odair." _Madge's father was a usual customer, always buying strawberries for me. He always referred me as Katniss, not Ms. Everdeen. _I nod and walk past him with Finnick by my side, the peacekeepers soon formed a circle around me and Finnick to 'ensure our safety' and guided us to my house in Victor's Village.

"Katniss!" a girly voice shouts, and I see Prim running to me, her arms around my waist hugging me. _God she's grown. She's already 10 and it doesn't even feel like it. _

"Hey Prim." I chuckle and let her go. "This is Finnick. He'll be staying with us for a few days." I refer to Finnick, who is leaning on the wall with a flirty smirk on his face. _If he even thinks of flirting with Prim. So help me, I'll rip him to pieces. She's just 10 for god's sake._

"Katniss, I know who Finnick Odair is! He's from District 4!" Prim exclaims, smiling fondly at Finnick. Finnick chuckles and his smiles sincerely at Prim, the smirk lying on his face a few moments ago long gone.

"Hi Prim. It's nice to meet you. Katniss has told me so much about you!" Finnick says, bending down to shake her hand but Prim has other intentions. Prim hugs Finnick, which causes Finnick to be taken aback for a few seconds but hugs her back afterwards. He pulls back from the hug and steps forward to greet my mother, "Mrs. Everdeen. It's a pleasure to meet you, thank you for letting me stay in your lovely home." Finnick says, planting a quick peck on my mother's hand. _Well played, Odair. _My mother blushes and nods, hugging me afterwards, saying that she's glad I'm back home. I didn't even notice Gale and the Hawthornes there in the living room. Gale looks furious, his nose is practically fuming with smokes of hatred towards Finnick.

"Odair." He spits out coldly to Finnick, who seemed unfazed by this.

"Gale, I presume? It's nice to meet you. Katniss here has kept you a secret from me after all the time we spent together. Seems rather unfair now that I'm meeting you." Finnick tells him, smiling cheekily at me. _Oh shit, what's he up to now? _

"Katniss never mentioned you." Gales huffs, glaring at me furiously, anger clearly displayed in his eyes. I give him another glare to shut up and be nice but alas it fails. "Catnip can I talk to you for a second?"

"Catnip? Ha, see Kat? My nickname is not the worst." Finnick tells me teasingly and I growl at him, telling him to shut up. _I never liked nicknames, but somehow whenever Finnick called me Kat, it offers a sense of security and warmth. Warmth that only Finnick can give me. _Gale pulls me into another room and looks at me with curious eyes as if analysing my whole figure.

"Catnip, what the hell! I get it that we're now half siblings and we can't date, but that doesn't mean you should go off with Playboy Odair! I still care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt." He explains, his voice getting softer and he looks at me with pleading eyes. I huff in frustration, _why does everyone think I like Finnick? I'm not like everyone else and Finnick will be Finnick, the obnoxious flirty victor from 4, no one can change that. _

"You've just found out that you're my half-brother a few weeks ago. You don't have the right to tell me who to and who not to date. And Finnick and I are just friends, there. Go celebrate in your victory. He's a victor, he knows what I went through, now if you'll excuse me I'm going to show him around the District, you can come if you want to. You know, to make sure Finnick won't hurt me and keep us in line?" I tell him harshly, glaring at him and leaving him alone in the living room. Turns out that Finnick already went to his room to put his bags and was already sitting in the living room, teaching Prim to tie knots.

"And this is how you untie it." Finnick tells her, guiding her hands over the knot.

"If you can stop flirting with her, maybe I'll show you around the district." I tell him sarcastically, rolling my eyes at sight before me. They both look up at me in shock, Prim's cheeks blushing with a tint of red. Finnick smirks and walks over to me, realising his arm from Prim's shoulders.

"Aw, is the Girl on Fire jealous?" Finnick purrs into my ears, pushing his lower lip out.

"Aw, does Fishboy need a kick in the nuts?" I retort back teasingly, pouting alongside with him. His eyes widen, his lips pursed and he stands up straight, alert and not wanting to irritate me after my threat. Gale is nowhere to be found so I assume he won't be tagging along with us. _Good for him. I can't believe I'm not actually glad Gale's not with me. We've sure changed after my games. For the better, dare I say. _"Come on, I'll show you the Hob." I tell him, leading him outside the house. The walk is quiet with Finnick flirting every now and then which I just brush off and roll my eyes at. _I hope the people at the Hob won't react too harsh with Finnick around. _We walk down to the Hob and Finnick's eyes lighten up when I tell him that this is the place where I make trade. "And don't act like such a snob like you usually do. They'll hate your guts for it." I tell him sternly, walking ahead of him. He glares at me accusingly but nods, following closely behind me. We walk around, finally stopping at Greasy Sae's stall and sit down and eat some soup. I look nervously at Finnick when he takes his first sip, _shit he won't like it. Don't complain._ _Don't piss her off. Don't piss her off. _

"This is delicious!" Finnick exclaims, taking another sip of his soup. My eyes widen with surprise, _that was unexpected. _Greasy Sae chuckles and throws her rag over her shoulder.

"And that coming from Finnick Odair? He has better taste than half the district!" She says, looking very smug and proud at the sight of Finnick finishing his bowl of soup. I shove my bowl at him, offering him my soup which he takes gratefully. "You know girl, you were the best hunter here. Nobody had given me meat as well as you did. Kind of wished you still hunted and sold it to me." She admits, looking at me with hopeful eyes. I laugh and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. _With my yearly earnings from the games, I don't really need to hunt. Well aside for Gale but now that I'm a victor, I rarely spend time in District 12. _

"Yeah Kat! Why don't you go hunting anymore? You could teach me!" Finnick says after finishing his second bowl of soup. _He sure is hungry._

"Maybe another day Fishboy. Come on, I'm going to buy some bread at the bakery." I tell him, _I need to stop avoiding them. By them, I mean Peeta's family._ Finnick sighs looking at my discomfort but also notices the determination in my eyes.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Finnick asks me with understanding eyes, grabbing my hand and giving a reassuring squeeze. I nod at him and pay Greasy Sae, a breeze brushes past us making me shiver. Finnick wraps his arm around me to share his body warmth which I let myself lean into his warm touch.

"Hey, not in front of us and the little lads." Greasy Sae says, pointing her wooden spoon towards us. I feel Finnick's chest vibrate from him chuckling and I roll my eyes.

"We're not dating, and we wouldn't want our little huntress to get cold right?" Finnick says teasingly, tightening his grip on me. I growl when he mentions 'little huntress', _I am not little. I'm just petite and I'm not that short and skinny anymore. Hell, even Johanna's more petite than me. _

"Fine. I'll let you off this time boy. Now scurry off!" Greasy Sae says with a smug smirk on her face, shooing us away. We walk down to the Mellark bakery but I stop when I see the tree. That very tree where I slumped down on the rainy day, awaiting for my death. If it weren't for Peeta, I would have surely died. Now I know I must face them and thank them for bringing their wonderful son to this world. _Real sappy Katniss. _Finnick senses my hesitation and unwraps his arm from me and stands in front of me.

"Katniss, you don't have to do this. You can do this another time." He tells me, a look of dread clear on his face. _Why is he dreading this moment? It should be me. _I shake my head and fix my determined eyes onto the Mellark Bakery entrance.

"No Finnick, I need to do this. If you don't want to come with me then don't but don't stop me from doing this." I tell him and walk ahead. Finnick joins beside me, walking and glancing at me nervously every few seconds, _he decided to come with me. Not surprising knowing Finnick. _I open the door and the bell signalling customers ring, Mr. Mellark shows up from behind the counter.

"Can I help-" He stops when he notices it's me and Finnick. "Katniss, what can I do for you?" He asks me curiously, ignoring Finnick, still surprised to see me here in his bakery. He still smiles fondly at me thought, which makes me curious. _Shouldn't he hate me for what I did to Peeta?_

"Can I have some cookies please?" I ask him politely, grabbing some coins from my pouch. He nods and excuses himself to fetch some cookies for me. Parker, Peeta's brother comes to the counter.

"Funny seeing you here." He starts off, "Katniss, knowing you I know you hate yourself for what Peeta did. But it's not your fault and none of us blame you." I sigh and look up at Parker who is smiling knowingly at me. Mr. Mellark comes back and I assume he heard our conversation from his smirk.

"Peeta loved you very much Katniss. Never forget that. He would have still chose to die so you could live if he and you were to be in the arena again." Mr. Mellark explains, giving me the cookies.

"Thank you. Not only for the cookies but for that. I needed to know that you all don't hate me for what I did to Peeta." I tell them and giving them the coins. I bid them goodbye, Finnick too and we go back home. It was already dark, the light posts at the side of the street being the only thing providing light.

"So Kat, I meant it what I said about teaching me how to hunt. What do you say Katniss?" I roll my eyes at his question, _yeah right. I would never teach him how to hunt. What's in it for me anyway? _"Fine then what about a trade?" My ears perk up at this and I raise my head and look at him, raising an eyebrow questioning him. "You teach me how to use a bow and I'll teach you how to use a trident when we visit District 4 or I'll bring my trident when I visit you again." I think about it in my head, _oh what's the worst thing that could happen from me teaching Finnick how to use a bow?_ Reluctantly I nod my head and he grins at his victory. "You won't be the only one looking hot when using a bow." He mutters quietly, _did he just say I look hot when using a bow? No. I'm probably just hearing things. _I continue walking and finally we reach my house, Prim comes and tugs Finnick's shirt to get him to the dining table, where my mom is serving dinner. Prim sits next to Finnick, chatting about something that I don't know, _I never expected her to be fond of Finnick this much. _"Oh that reminds me! Wait here." Finnick tells Prim, leaving the table and going upstairs. _What on earth is he doing? _He comes down with something in his hands and he gives it to Prim. It's a seashell. One of the ones we picked up on the beach the first day in District 4. Prim thanks him and hugs him, happy and grateful for the gift. _I'm happy with how he's treating Prim. Even though he could stop flirting with her. I hope he doesn't swear in front of her. If he does, so help me._

"So Finnick, how did you meet Katniss?" My mother asks Finnick, taking a bite of the rabbit she's cooked for us. _Really mother?_

"I saw her on television after the recaps for the reapings. After I saw the determination and fire in her eyes, I knew I had to meet her. But I just met her after she won, even though she didn't welcome me all too nicely. She opened up to me though, they always do." Finnick says to my mother, receiving a glare from me. _Asshole. That's what he is. How dare he talk like that with Prim here! _My mother seems a little loss for words so I speak up.

"I'm going to wash the dishes." I tell them, excusing myself from the table. _That couldn't have gotten more awkward. _I hear my mother and Finnick laughing from the table so I take it that Finnick had apologised or said something funny to excuse his inappropriate comment. Prim walks up behind me and joins in washing her plate. "So, it seems like you're pretty close with Finnick?" I ask her curiously, genuinely wanting to know about their relationship.

"Oh yes, Finnick's really nice. Now I know why Gale hates him so much." She tells me, _Gale hates him? I knew Gale was never too fond of Finnick but I didn't know he hates him. _

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Finnick's nice and Gale thinks you'll get together with Finnick and choose him over Gale. He's worried Katniss." She tells me, wiping her hands after drying her plate. _She thinks he's worried because I'll chose Finnick over Gale. Oh how wrong she is. Gale doesn't expect me to choose him anymore but he doesn't expect me to choose Finnick too. Which I won't, I mean we're just close friends. _

"I love your sister and mother. I know why you were so determined to get back to them. They truly are lovely Katniss." He tells me, washing his plate. I smile and lean on the sink, looking at him cleaning his plate. _And to think he needs an avox just to get the medical kit. Now he's washing the dishes? _"I've been meaning to ask, what's wrong with Gale? He doesn't seem to like me all that much." Finnick asks, drying his plate using a rag. _If only you knew Finnick. _

"He's just worried that you'll hurt me. He thinks we like each other, which we don't." I laugh, and continue. "He doesn't know that Playboy Odair is just an act, for the Capitol. Don't worry, he won't do anything stupid. And if he does, he'll know the consequences." I tell him, smirking at the memory of me punching Gale in the nose once, by accident of course. Finnick frowns momentarily but smiles when I tell him about the time where I punched Gale in the nose when we were sneaking off from school. "Come on, it's already late. You'll need plenty of rest for your first lesson tomorrow." I remind him, walking upstairs to my room. He goes into his room and closes his door, _looks like I'm sleeping alone tonight. _I slip out of my clothes only to be in my undergarments and get under the covers and curl up, falling asleep.

Finnick's POV

I walk out of my room to rejoin Katniss, _she can't possibly think that I'll let her sleep alone while I'm a room away! _I see Katniss asleep only in her undergarments, I smirk and lay down beside her, stroking her hair and kissing her neck. _Hey, she's asleep! She won't feel it. _I fall asleep with my arm around Katniss' waist, dreaming about the dark-haired huntress beside me.

"Finnick! Wake up!" Katniss whispers harshly, hitting my arm which is still locked around her waist, still gripping her tightly. I groan and let her go, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. _What time is it? God, I'm not used to waking up this early. _Katniss gets out of bed, revealing her unclad body, _well she is wearing her bra and panties though. Nonetheless, she looks beautiful. She looks like a goddess._

"Thanks for the motivation Kat." I purr teasingly into her ear, standing up next to her. She looks at her body and blushes, running into the bathroom to hide from me and shower. _Aw, why are you so shy Kat? You have a beautiful body._ I realise that I'm only in my boxers, leaving me shirtless. Mrs. Everdeen will not react so kindly towards me if she found me in Katniss' room like this. I decide to take a shower, leaving Katniss' room and head to the bathroom in my room. After I shower, I put on black pants and a white shirt, showing off my muscles. I walk down to the dining room to find Katniss in her hunting clothes, hiding from my gaze. I chuckle and take a seat in front of her, munching on a cookie and drinking the cup of tea Prim left for me on the table. "Aw, is Katniss embarrassed that I saw her in nothing but her bra-" I start to tease her.

"Shut it Finnick." She snarls at me, standing up from her chair. "Let's go, we don't want peacekeepers wandering over the meadow." She tells me, going out of the house. _Someone's extra-feisty today. I got to admit it kinda turns me on. _I follow her closely but when we get to the fence, I hesitate. _Isn't this illegal? That's not what I'm afraid of but what if we get caught. Katniss will get whipped or even worse, killed. _"It's off. We don't get electricity much here. And the peacekeepers are friends of mine. They won't punish us. Now come on, pretty boy." _Pretty boy? I am not pretty. _I follow her, crawling through a hole in the fence. We walk through the forest, the victor Finnick waking up inside of me, making me more alert and aware of my surroundings. Katniss stops by a hollow log and pulls out 2 bows and a quiver of arrows. She hands me a black bow, wooden and smooth.

"This is Gale's so don't break it. It's bigger than mine's and you and Gale are almost the same size so it should be suitable for you." She says, walking up to a tree and carving circles similar to the targets in the Training Centre. "Okay, you have to hit the dot on the centre. Now try and notch the arrow, I want to see your position." She says. I fumble with the arrow, but finally notch it to the string and try to hold the bow like I've seen Katniss did in her games. She walks around me, studying my grip on the bow and my body position. She reaches up and pushes my left hand further down on the bow and fixes the way I'm holding the arrow. "Go into the position when you're just about to shoot." She orders me. I stand up straight, shoulders pushed back and pull on the string harder. She kicks my foot so that it would go the other way out, instead of facing the tree. "Move your body to the right, so that you're turned instead of facing directly at the tree." I turn slightly, it turns out that I don't feel all that strange to this position. _I think I might quite like archery. _"Good. Pull back the string a bit more, until your hand is close to your shoulder." I pull the string back, holding my breath whilst I do so. "Shoot." And with that I release my arrow, to find it straight on the target.

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**AN: Review = LOVE!**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Sorry for just uploading today! I went ice-skating yesterday with a few friends and then celebrated my mother's birthday afterwards. Anyways, here is chapter 14. And to the reviewer who pointed out that this is similar to 'Misconceptions', well I haven't read that yet when I wrote this chapter, but I searched it up and yes I have to agree that it is quite similar but it is not identical. Then again, I am just trying to combine the 21 questions thing I have done in my previous chapters with hunting, which is obviously something that Katniss would have done with Finnick if he ever did come to District 12. It's something that is kinda obvious to me, Katniss teaching Finnick archery while they're at District 12. Nonetheless, I apologise if you think I'm 'uncreative' or something like that but honestly, I never intended to write anything similar to anyone's work here but let's face facts, this is a fan fiction website. Some fanfics will be similar to others like fanfics where Finnick takes away Katniss' virginity so that Katniss wouldn't have her first time with a Capitol person. So I'm sorry but please don't hate me or anything. Anyways, thank you for the reviews! Please keep reviewing! REVIEWS = LOVE AND MORE CHAPTERS!**

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Finnick's POV

_I've used the bow before when I was training for my games. I never excelled in it, so I chose to use my trident as my main weapon. Although I wasn't all that good, I could shoot straight sometimes. But I won't tell Katniss that, if she knew she wouldn't be teaching me. When she guides my arms and feet to be in the correct position, her fingers send tingles down my spine and I have the to fight the urge of not moaning. _I stood back in astonishment when I see my arrow in the middle of the target but I cover it with a smug smirk on my face. I glance at Katniss who looks just as surprised at me but covers it with an annoyed look on her face.

"Lucky shot. Your position is still wrong." She says, retrieving the arrow back from the target. She hands it to me and look at me with curious eyes, "Again."

"Aw is Katniss afraid that I might be better at archery than her?" I tease her, pouting slightly. She smiles smugly at me and suddenly an arrow is straight in the middle of the target where my arrow was a few moments ago. Without a blink, she already managed to shoot precisely on-target, even when she was talking to me. She didn't even have to see the target. _That's pretty hot. _

"Again." She repeated, looking at me amused at my face, my mouth slightly agape with shock. I regain my composure and get into position, notching the arrow to the string and pull back. She checks my position, moving my grip on the arrow and touching my back so that my shoulders are in place and not stiff. "Shoot." I release the string and the arrow misses its target, landing on the ground a few inches from the tree. She laughs and retrieves the bow handing it back to me, "Like I said. Lucky shot." I roll my eyes and wipe the sweat of my face. I smirk and pull off my shirt, leaving my bare chest visible to Katniss.

"Maybe I need some motivation?" I tease her, remembering the memory of me waking up with her only in her undergarments. She raises an eyebrow at me and blushes when she catches on what I'm hinting.

"Put on your shirt Finnick." She tells me, rolling her eyes.

"What? Do you find this distracting?" I ask her, posing ridiculously in front of her.

"I'm only human Odair." She says, chuckling and shaking her head.

"To be fair. Maybe you could go shirtless?" I ask her teasingly, waggling my eyebrows which she responds to by rolling her eyes.

"In your dreams Odair, now get back in position."

"But what if I want the Girl on Fire to train shirtless with me?" I ask, pouting like a baby. She laughs and slaps my shoulder.

"Stop fooling around Finnick, now seriously get back in position. You're the one who wanted to learn how to use a bow." She says sternly, _it's true. I was the one who wanted to do this. To make our bond stronger, not to actually learn. Well I don't mind learning how to do archery if Kat's the one teaching me. _

"Fine, what if we play 21 questions? With a twist on it! Please, Katniss? It'll motivate me." I suggest with a pout on my face.

"I'm listening."

"If I hit anywhere on the target, I get to ask you a question which you will have to answer. If I don't hit it then you can ask me anything you want and I'll answer it." I suggest. She seems hesitant but nods which brings a smile on my face. I get into position and she kicks my ankle so my right foot isn't too far out. I pull back the string and release, the arrow hitting the tree a few inches from the target. _Dammit. _

"Looks like you're the only one answering questions today." She says in amusement, I scowl at her and retrieve my arrow. "First question, how did you and Mags get so close?" She asks me, playing with her arrow in her hands. I smile at the question, _Mags. She's like my mother. I don't know where I would be without her. _

"Mags. We're just like you and Haymitch. We met when I was reaped and we bonded over the games. She's like a mother to me, just like Haymitch is a father to you." I tell her, _which reminds me, where the hell is Haymitch? _She nods and waits for me to shoot, sitting on a stump. I hold my breathe and focus on the target, when I'm sure of my aim I release the string, letting the arrow find the target. _Yes! _I grin cockily and take my arrow back from the target. "Looks like I get to ask you a question Everdeen." I tell her smugly, proud of my achievement. She rolls her eyes and looks at me expectantly, waiting for my question. I decide to ask her the question that has been egging on me since the first time I stepped foot in Katniss' house. "Who's Gale? I mean, is he your ex-boyfriend or is it unrequited love? I don't quite understand your relationship with him." I ask her bluntly,_ I need to know. _She sighs after hearing my question and changes her gaze onto her arrow that is in her hands.

"Gale has been my best friend since my father died. We became inseparable, hunting and making trade together in order to keep our families alive. After the reaping, I don't know what and why, but something changed between us. But he'll forever be my best friend and he was just being over-protective with me and a bit possessive." She explains looking down at her feet, making it seem like she's hiding something from me. _I know she's hiding something from me, but I won't ask her anything YET. _"Okay enough rest, let's go again. Shoot straight" She tells me sternly. I bring my shoulders together, putting my feet apart and turning my body slightly, so that I don't face the target directly. I pull back the string with the arrow notched against it and just as I am about to release the string, Katniss nudges my elbow making my arrow fly somewhere right from the target. I glare at Katniss and roll my eyes at her, _she did that on purpose! _

"Not fair Kat, you cheated. I think I deserve a kiss for that one. No questions asked and I'll forgive you. And yes, I'm feeling generous today so I'll let you off for a kiss." I tell her, licking my lips. _I know she's not going to take up on my offer, but a guy's gotta try right? _

"You better keep your hands and lips to yourself if you expect to go back to District 4 with any hands at all." She threatens me, leaving me disappointed and pouting. Unexpectedly, she pecks my lips, bringing back the tingles and spark from our last kiss back to my body and the lingering taste and feel of her lips against mine back on my lips. I stare at her in astonishment, taken by surprise with her action. _Then again, what do you expect? It's Katniss I'm talking about, she sure is full of surprises. _She's flushed and hides from my gaze, looking at her shoes.

"Don't hide something so beautiful." I tell her, lifting her chin using my forefinger and thumb. She blushes even more but raises an eyebrow, questioning me. "Your blush, Kat. It's cute. No need to hide it." Katniss shakes her head and backs up a few steps, she gets her bow and the quiver of arrows and walk back to me.

"Come on, you're decent enough. Let's try to get some game for the Hawthornes. And besides, I need something to amuse me while I'm hunting for game." She tells me, slinging her quiver of arrows on her shoulder and walks in front of me, telling me to follow her quietly. Of course, as a victor, I am silent as a mouse, not making any noise when doing anything when I want to be. I study Katniss' movements, she was silent, creeping and looking for any game. She was stealthy and balanced, her eyes and ears alert for any sudden movement signalling game nearby. _She looks magnificent in her true form, and well, hot. _Katniss elbows my stomach softly and I see what she's looking at. It's a wild turkey. Katniss steadies her position and grabs and arrow and notches it to the bowstring, pulling it back and holding her breath. She releases the bowstring and the arrow finds itself plunged through the wild turkey's eye, a clean shot. Katniss hurries over and takes the arrow out, handing me the wild turkey by it's legs. "Here, put it in here." She says, opening her game bag, _Did she have that with her before? _I stuff the wild turkey in and she slings the game bag over her other shoulder. I see a squirrel and nudge Katniss, informing her of the squirrel's presence. "Try shooting it. And try to aim for the eye." She says, stepping back and handing me an arrow. I get into shooting position, remembering Katniss' tips and corrections, she slides her hand down my spine so that my shoulders aren't too stiff and to make me stand up straighter. I pull back the bow string and look at her for reassurance, she nods and gives me a thumbs up, making me smile a bit. I look at the squirrel and aim for it's eye, taking a deep breathe and pulling back the string even harder and release the arrow. It misses it's target but still hits the squirrel on the neck. "Nice try. It's good for a beginner though." She finally lets out a compliment, letting me grin with victory. _Oh, if you only knew Kat. _We continue hunting, ending up with 3 squirrels, 5 birds and a wild turkey, some of which I actually shot, not on the eye though, _I'm not that good yet. _"Let's go give this to Hazelle." She tells me, storing her quiver of arrows and our bows back into the hollow tree and slinging her now full and heavy game bag. I take it from her, worried that it's too heavy for her to bring but she says she okay and has a look of determination on her face so I know I shouldn't even bother to try.

"If you don't mind me asking. Why are you giving everything we shot to the Hawthornes?" I ask her curiously. She examines me for a few seconds and sighs, rubbing her hands together to get some warmth because of the cold air.

"I have more than enough food to eat for this year, but the Hawthornes barely have enough to eat for the next 2 days. There's Hazelle, Gale, Rory, Vick and Posy. 5 people to feed Finnick, the least I can do is give them my game, to help them. And I don't need it anyways, I just need to hunt, to relieve some stress and escape."

"Escape?"

"Escape from the Hunger Games. Escape from Haymitch. Escape from the Capitol. Escape from the life of a victor and a mentor." She explains to me, a look of sadness plastered across her face. I nod in understanding,_ I do understand. I can remember the countless times that I've tried to escape by drinking and cutting and going to clubs to get wasted. But nothing happens. After Annie told me about the rope therapy, was when I started to get better. That's why I love making knots now, it makes me forget. _"Oh and by the way, that counts as 2 questions from our game!" She says, running off towards a small cottage-like house.

"Dammit!" I curse outwardly, cursing myself for wasting 2 more opportunities to ask personal questions about Katniss but wasting it on unimportant and irrelevant questions. _Good going Finn. Only 11 more questions to go. You wasted 2, fucking brilliant. _I jog steadily, trying to catch up with Katniss who was giving Hazelle her game bag and hugging her. I decide to wait and look from a distance, not wanting to intrude their personal business. They chat for a while and a small boy comes out and hugs Katniss, _wonder who that is. _Hazelle sees me and talks with Katniss more, afterwards waving at me when Katniss is jogging back to where I am standing at. We walk to Katniss' house in silence, not the type of awkward silence but the type that was comforting and offered reassurance. _Maybe it's because we have grown to be comfortable in each other's presence, both when we're talking or silent. _"Kat, where's Haymitch?" I ask her, realising his absent. She thinks for a second and shakes her head.

"I'm not so sure. Let's check his house. He's probably too drunk to get out of his bed." She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the thought of Haymitch passed out drunk on his dirty old bed. I chuckle and follow her to Haymitch's house, which is located right in front of Katniss' house. We knock a few times, but no one opens the door so we go in anyway, finding the door unlocked. His house is technically the same as Katniss' house, but his is dingy and not taken care of, cold and dirty. "Haymitch?" Katniss calls out, looking for him in the kitchen. She looks at me expectantly but I shake my head and continue my search for Haymitch. "Haymitch!" Katniss shouts, going upstairs and I follow her to his room. Haymitch is on the floor in his bedroom, passed out drunk. "Haymitch! Get off your lazy ass, you old drunk!" Katniss shouts, kicking Haymitch's leg.

"God Sweetheart! Don't need to be so rough." He complains, waking up. He rubs his leg then stands awake, leaning on his bedside drawer. "Now what do you wa- Fishboy? Sweetheart, just how drunk am I?" He asks Katniss, scratching his head in confusion while getting a better look at me. "Fishboy? Is it really you?" He asks me, poking my shoulder with his forefinger. "What the hell are you doing here?" He says when he realises I'm actually standing there in front of him.

"Just thought District 12 needed a little dose of my charm and charisma." I tell him jokingly, he snorts and picks up his flask which Katniss grabs and glares at him disapprovingly.  
"No, Katniss invited me over since she visited my district for a week. And it's a good excuse to get away from the Capitol and the appointments." I tell him, shuddering at the memory of my appointments. It's nice, not having them and spending time with Katniss for a change.

"Good for you Fishboy. But I don't care. I don't mean what are you doing in District 12. I mean what are you doing here? In my house? Specifically, in my bedroom?" He asks me, glancing at Katniss too.

"We wanted to make sure you were okay. God knows what you do in your spare time in this shit hole you call a house." Katniss explains, looking around his dirty dark room.

"Yeah Hay, why don't you clean up a bit around the house? Or at least hire a housekeeper to clean it for you?" I suggest, scratching my head looking at the mess in front of his closet. Haymitch snorts and rolls his eyes, suggesting that my idea is stupid.

"Thanks but no thanks. I don't need nosy housekeepers around my house. Plus, they'll just interfere with my drinking, telling me it's not healthy and all that bullshit." He tells us, walking down the stairs to the kitchen. "Then, next thing you know, they'll be like Sweetheart over here," he says, pointing at Katniss. "Grabbing my fucking flask and bottle whenever I'm trying to drink. And trust me, one Katniss is enough, I don't need two. No offence Sweetheart." He points out and glances at Katniss, who just rolls her eyes at his comment. "Now, if you don't need anything else. Will you leave me alone so I can go back to bed?" He tells us, pointing to the door. _How welcoming. _

"Back to bed? So that's what you call passing out on the floor of your bedroom now? How nice." She says sarcastically, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Whatever Sweetheart. It's late and I am in no mood to hear your sarcastic, witty comments. Come back some other day. Or better yet, don't come back at all! I see enough of you when the games start." He tells us and I wince when he mentions the games, _it's something I try to avoid talking about. It's too painful talking about the games and all the kids slaughtered. _"Which reminds me. This year's games will happen sooner. It's already March, and the Capitol people weren't all too satisfied with last year's games so they want another one soon. The reaping's probably going to take place in a few more weeks." He tells us when we reach the door. Katniss frowns and shakes her head, going out the door quickly.

"Thanks for the heads up, Hay." I tell him and follow Katniss to her house. We skip dinner and go straight to her room. I sigh and lay down on Katniss' bed while she paces in front of her bed.

"I can't believe they're doing this! They can at least honour the rules, letting 7 months pass before making the reapings take place! Screw them! They're just like how I know them to be. Disgusting, cold-hearted, idiotic and sadistic people!" She rants and walks more quickly. I sigh and look up at her, _what are we going to do with you Katniss? _

"I know Kat. But what choice do we have?" I ask her and place my arm on her shoulder, making her stop. "The only thing we can do is watch the games play out and try our best to help our tributes win." I tell her, sighing in defeat when she glares at me. She sighs and her eyes soften, the fire in her eyes dimming a bit. She sits on her bed and plays with my rope, looking down. I behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her back to lean against me. I wrap my legs around her and pull her onto my lap, smelling her hair.

"Are you smelling me?" She asks me, looking at me weirdly.

"Yes, yes I am." I tell her, mentally slapping myself for looking like such a creep.

"And what do I smell like?"

"Like pine-wood and lavender. It's nice and comforting." I tell her, inhaling her scent again. She smiles weirdly at me but leans back to my chest and resumes playing with my rope.

"Here, let me teach you one of my favourite knots." I tell her, taking her fingers with mine and guiding her hands to make the knot. "There, it's done." It's a simple knot. My father taught me how to make it when I was a kid when we went on fishing trips. She smiles at me and tries to unknot it. I chuckle and help her find the weak spot in the knot, when she finds it she smiles smugly and pulls it, unraveling the knot. "This is my way to find my escape. Just like you and hunting. Annie told me to do this, rope therapy she called it." I tell her, fumbling with a strand of her hair. Katniss is silent with her head down, I nudge her and she stays silent. "Kat?" I say, turning her head to face me so I can look at her. Her eyes are shut and her breathing is stable. She's asleep. _Oh Katniss. _I chuckle and pull her under the covers with me, laying her down slowly next to me even though we're still in our dirty clothes. She snuggles to me and brings her head to the crook of my neck, her breathing sending tingles down my spine. _Oh Kat, the things you do to me. _I kiss her nose and fall asleep next to the beautiful, dark haired huntress from District 12.

**AN: Please don't say that I copied the author of 'Misconceptions' or anything in the reviews because I did not. You can see the full explanation above. Anyway, reviews please! REVIEWS = LOVE AND MORE CHAPTERS**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Reviews = Love and another chapter tomorrow!**

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Finnick's POV

The next few days passed faster than I wanted it to. We fell into routine, waking up at 7, archery lessons to 3, hunting for game then giving our game to the Hawthornes. It was comforting and fun, teasing Katniss and bonding with her and her family. Prim is like a little sister to me now, I taught her how to tie different knots and she showed me the different herbs used to heal people. Prim wants to be a doctor when she grows up, she's passionate about helping people, it's truly inspiring to hear about, when she's talking about it. Mrs. Everdeen and I only exchange in small talk, sometimes I help her do the chores such as washing the dishes and getting stuff from the higher cabinets, too high for her reach. Katniss and I, well that's another thing. _I can't help but get lost and confused when I think of her, I'm not quite sure how she feels and what she thinks of. She's got this mask on everyday, a barrier, but sometimes she pulls it down, letting me see her in her true form, her vulnerable and true emotions coming out. She's so mysterious that it eggs on me to know more about her, to figure her out. But I can't because she won't let me. She doesn't trust me enough or maybe she can't put her barrier down for me, I'm not so sure. But I'm sure about one thing. Katniss Everdeen remains a mystery to me. Whether I like it or not. She's different. That's it, that's why I can't read her, I can't figure her out. Hell, that's what got me interested with her in the first place. _Today's the last day that I get to stay here in District 12. Snow has requested my services back in my district, and I am to go back immediately.

"Finnick? Finnick!" Katniss shouts, nudging me and bringing me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I hum a response, looking at her expectantly. "The train's here." She says quietly. I wince at the fact that I'll be separated from Katniss for another month. I nod sadly and pick up my bag. _How am I going to survive without Katniss for a month! I can't see her, talk to- OH! Yes, I can! We both have phones! _My head perks up and I search for a piece of paper and a pen in my bedside drawer. I jot down my telephone number and hand it to Katniss.

"That's my telephone number. Try to actually call me this time round okay?" I tell her, chuckling at the last part. She rolls her eyes but nods and I pick up my bag and go downstairs with Katniss trailing behind me.

"Don't leave Finnick!" Prim calls out, hugging my legs. I look down sadly, _this is hurting a lot more than I thought it would. _I pat her head and kneel down in front of her. "Don't leave Finnick. Please? Who's going to teach me different knots? And go hunting with Katniss? And tease and joke around at dinner with me? Don't leave. Stay for another week. Please Finnick? I'll miss you. And Katniss will too! Won't you Katniss?" She pleads, looking at Katniss who nods sadly and hides from my gaze. _And exactly how much will she miss me? _I sigh sadly and hug Prim, stroking her hair soothingly as she cries into my shoulder. I can see Mrs. Everdeen sniffle a bit from seeing Prim cry.

"It's okay Prim. I can't stay because I need to go back to work. I would stay with you guys if I had the choice but sadly I don't. I can come visit next year, and I'll call you everyday! Katniss has my phone number and you can call me whenever you want." I tell her reassuringly and pat her head. She nods and sighs in defeat, she hugs me one last time and goes to her mother.

"Thank you for letting me stay here. If I'm welcome then maybe I can visit next year as well." I tell Mrs. Everdeen who nods at my suggestion.

"Oh, of course you're welcome Finnick. Come any time you want." She tells me and pats my shoulder.

"Well, I better get going. Goodbye Prim, goodbye Mrs. Everdeen." I say, waving at them and walking out the door with Katniss. "I'm really going to miss them." I tell her, sighing and walking with my head down. "And I'm going to miss you most." I confess, I hear her sigh and we walk in silence to the train station. _I need to tell her how I feel. Better now than never. Who knows what might happen with her and Gale while I'm gone. _"Kat-" I start but get interrupted by Katniss.

"No Finnick, wait. Listen to me. These past few weeks have been annoying, infuriating but fun at the same time. And I have you to thank for that. Even though you might be a self-centred, obnoxious, narcissistic ass, you're also nice and humorous. You have been there for me when I was a mess and you were there when I was happy, and sometimes you were the reason I was happy. So thanks for being such a good friend." She tells me. _A good friend. _I feel my heart break and I have to hide the frown forming on my face. "I'll miss you so much. More than you could ever know. " She whispers in my ear while wrapping me in an embrace. She hides her head in the crook of my neck and I stroke her hair soothingly and inhale her scent for the last time. I kiss her head and pull away but as I do, she kisses my cheek and stroke my cheek with her thumb. She sighs then walks away, leaving me alone in the train station. I already feel empty and she's just left me! I go in my train, my bag in my hands and the train heads towards District 4. _Bye Kat. See you in a few months._

Katniss' POV

I walk home with my head down and a few hot tears sliding down my face, I think about my parting with Finnick. It was hard but I can't quite figure out why my heart pained when I thanked him for being a good friend. _That's all we are right? Friends? _I sigh and shake my head and walk into my house. I look around and find my house empty, they're probably at the Hawthornes or buying supplies at the stores. I walk up to the second floor and stop when I get to the study room. _Why is the door open? _That's when the strong distinctive smell of roses hit me. _Roses. Snow._ I open the door and find Snow sitting behind the desk in the middle of the room drinking something red, similar to blood. _Similar to blood? Or is it actually blood? _I shudder a little, creeped out by the thought of Snow drinking blood when he is here sitting in front of me.

"Ah, Ms. Everdeen. Please sit." He orders me, gesturing to the chair in front of him. I observe him momentarily before hesitantly sitting in front of him. "I am here to make a proposition with you. As you can see, you have become very popular in the Capitol and very desirable." He starts off, shoving a Capitol magazine in front of me, the cover has 'KATNISS EVERDEEN - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN PANEM' written in bright, bold letters. I ignore it, _does he think I'm flattered by this? Or even happy? I don't care how they see me. _"You have started quite a stir in the districts. Causing uprisings and starting a flame of hope in their heart, making them think that they can overthrow me and the Capitol. Well, you are going to stop that. I was going to make an offer similar to the one I have made with Gloss Beckham, Johanna Mason, Finnick Odair and your other fellow victors. But I have decided to make another offer for you, one that you must think about wisely. You are to move and live in the Capitol before the games start and attend every social event I tell you to." _He probably just wants to keep a lookout on me and make sure that I'm not doing anything illegal that might support the rebellion even more. Or maybe he thinks I'm easier to dispose if I'm in the Capitol? He's just turning me into his puppet, the Capitol's toy._ "If you refuse, well let's just say that your little sister, mother and your cousin, what's his name? Oh yes, Gale? Well, they might just have to be careful or not they might slip or say get into a mine explosion?" He tells me. _HOW DARE HE? Threaten my family and Gale? After I have risked my life in the games? Twisted bastard. I don't want to leave Gale and Prim. But it looks like I have no choice. _I nod hesitantly in understanding, _I have to talk to Finnick about this. _"Oh and Mrs. Everdeen. Do not tell any of your other friends or fellow victors. You can tell your family and your cousin, but not your drunken mentor or Mr. Odair, Mr. Beckham or Ms. Mason or anyone else. Am I clear?" He asks me sternly, staring me down. I don't back down and grit my teeth at the sight of him but nod unwillingly. "You must convince the people from the Capitol that you love them, adore them. That you want to be them. And to stop the rebellion from commencing. Am I clear, Ms. Everdeen?" He asks me, his puffy red lips spitting a red substance onto a desk.

"I'll convince them." I tell him, clenching my hands that are already in fists.

"No. Convince me." He says abruptly and stands up, walking away from the room with 4 peacekeepers that came out of nowhere. _Twisted bastard. _I see a white envelope on top of the desk and open it. 'Train to Capitol - 7 A.M' _God, he's ruthless. I have just got back from the Capitol to spend time with my family, with Prim and Gale. But now what? He's taking me away again! And threatening my family? I hope the rebellion commences! I hope they overthrow the Capitol and Snow! To end his evil rein. _I walk down the stairs to find my mother and Prim sitting down on the couch waiting for me.

"Katniss? What's wrong?"

"Why was President Snow here?" They ask me, I sigh and walk over, sitting in the couch in front of them.

"Before I say anything, promise not to interrupt and to keep an open mind towards all of it. And remember that I love you and I'm doing this for both of you." I tell them, looking and waiting for them to nod. My mother looks worried but nods while Prim just looks up at me expectantly. I sigh and begin to tell them, without informing them anything important and secretive. "I have to go and move from District 12 to the Capitol. President Snow thinks it will be beneficial for me and for us that I am there to attend any of the social events since I am the Capitol's sweetheart." I tell them, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists as I say the last part. "I don't want to go and leave you both but I have to. It will help my tributes next year even more because I might befriend a few sponsors and encourage and persuade them to sponsor the tributes from District 12. Nonetheless, I love you both and you both now have my monthly winnings to help you both survive. And I'll come back as soon as the games end so I'll see you both soon." I tell them, Prim runs up and hugs me, already wracked in sobs. My mother, on the other hand, is crying silently and shaking. _She never was the adult figure in this family. I just hope she doesn't zone out again after I leave tomorrow. _"Don't cry, little duck. I'll be home sooner than you think!" I tell her soothingly, hopefully making her stop crying.

"I know, but I'll miss you Katniss. I just got you back. I don't want to let you go again." It pains my heart hearing her say that so I hug her tighter, kissing her soft hair and letting a few tears drop onto her hair. I sniffle and wipe my tears, _I don't want Prim seeing me like this. I need to be strong. For her. _I let her go and hug my mother, whispering softly in her ear, "You can't zone out. I'm leaving you again with her, be strong like you were when I was in the games. This time it'll be easier because you know I'm coming back, and soon. Be the mother you are to her. For me and most importantly, for her." My mother nods and I pull back, putting on my boots to go see Gale. _Gale will not be happy about this. _"I'm going to see Gale to tell him. Do not tell anyone about the move, and Prim, don't tell Rory or Finnick please." I tell them, Prim nods and closes the door behind me. I walk up to the Hawthorne's house and see Gale outside, sitting down and looking at the sky. "Hey." I call out to him. Gale looks up and furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Catnip? What are you doing here? And where's Odair?" He asks me with venom in his voice.

"Finnick's back in District 4. And I'm here to tell you something." I tell him, sitting down next to him with our legs touching each other's. I tell him everything, the same exact thing I told my mother and Prim, careful not to slip out any information that isn't supposed to be mentioned to Gale or anyone else. Gale's face does not reflect any emotion but I stare at him, trying to figure out what he's thinking. Finally he breaks the silence and takes my hand in his.

"Catnip, I'm so sorry. It's like the odds are never in your favour. I'll keep them safe for you. I promise and please call them everyday if you can, I'll be there at noon so you can talk to me. I know it's forbidden for me to love you as a lover, but I do. I used to anyways, now I don't care. As long as you're safe with me then I'll be your anything. Your friend, brother, lover, anything for you Catnip." He tells me, I sigh and hug him. _I don't know what I'd do without you. _

"Thanks. I'm leaving tomorrow so consider this our goodbye." I tell him, kissing his cheek in a friendly-manner. He sighs and hugs me one last time before letting me go. I frown but get up reluctantly and glance back, finding him still looking at me. He gives me a small supportive smile, which I return, before I walk back to my house. I don't have to pack since Cinna is just going to get me new clothes when I get there. _OH! CINNA! I almost forgot! Thank god for Cinna. He'll be there. He has to. He's my stylist. Not to mention the only familiar face in the Capitol. God I miss him. At least Cinna will be there for me. He'll make this all so much easier for me._ I curl up under the covers of my bed and fall into a dreamless sleep.

"Katniss?" I hear a small voice call out to me. I groan and wake up, my eyes still heavy with sleep. I look up and see Prim standing in front of my door, looking up at me. "Can I sleep with you tonight? I can't sleep." She squeaks out, her voice so small that I can barely hear it. I chuckle, _Oh little duck._

"Of course you can little duck. Come here you." I tell her and she climbs into bed with me and snuggles into me. I smile and kiss her head in a motherly way, _she always did this before the games. _We cuddle and fall asleep again, dreading for what will come in the morning.

"Katniss dear? It's 7. You have to wake up." My mother calls out to me, I groan in annoyance. _Can't I just get some sleep? _Nevertheless, I get up reluctantly and take a shower. The cold water hits my skin, making me hiss. _Stupid Capitol buttons._ I adjust the buttons and get under the shower head, quickly scrubbing and cleaning my body from dirt and the germs. I dry myself off and get into a black skirt and a red jumper. I look casual but not too District 12. I get outside and find my mother and Prim ready to escort me to the train station. When we get there, I see Gale waiting for me. I didn't expect him to come as I told him yesterday was our goodbye. His head perks up when he sees me and he runs up to me, hugging me and lifting me in the air with his strong arms around my waist. I giggle a bit but smack his arm, whispering a goodbye before kissing his cheek again. I hug Prim one last time and kiss her forehead then hug my mother. I walk onto the train and wave back to my family and Gale and the train door closes, signalling the departure to the Capitol. I sigh and sulk my way to the living room, to find my dark-skinned stylist standing there, waiting for me with his arms open. I stare in shock, seeing Cinna in front of me.

"Honestly, I had hoped for a better greeting." He says jokingly, chuckling a bit. I run to him and hug him, making him almost fall. He chuckles and strokes my hair, just like my father used to do. "I'm sorry for everything. For this. You deserve so much better Katniss." He tells me, pulling back from the hug and sitting down gesturing to the chair in front of him for me. I sit down in front of him, sipping on the cup of tea that was already there, looking untouched of course. "I am here to make sure you arrive in style, and looking, well more like the Girl on Fire." I sigh and nod.

"I'm going back to sleep if you don't mind. I didn't exactly get much sleep last night." I say, recalling Gale and Prim. My stomach twists and turns, already missing them and I excuse myself to my room. I curl in my bed and fall into sleep, effortlessly. I wake up and see the sun rising brightly, _I must have slept for 2 hours. _I go out of my room and see Cinna with his robe on sitting on the couch watching a Capitol gossip show.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." He greets me chuckling, _sleeping beauty? I just slept for 2 hours. _He must have noticed my confusion because he gets up and pulls me into his room. "Katniss, you slept through the day. We're arriving in the Capitol in less than half an hour. We need to get you ready, and fast. Now go take a shower." He explains to me, _I slept for about 13 hours! I must really have been tired. _I nod and get in the shower, choosing a lavender scented soap to scrub along my body. I dry myself and walk back into Cinna's room, only in a robe. Cinna takes it off and grabs a bright yellow dress, handing it over to me. I change in front of him, slipping on the tight dress that hugs my curves. It doesn't faze Cinna though, he's already seen me naked a few other times since he was my stylist for the games. I sit down on the chair in front of the big mirror in his room and he does my hair, curling it into soft brown waves. He does my nails, putting on transparent nail polish and dries them with this machine from the Capitol, then applying my makeup, giving me red lips and a dark smoky eye look with thick dark eyelashes. He puts me in black stiletto heels, something that I am used to wearing now and he changes into his outfit, reapplying his gold eyeliner. "Let's go. We're already here. Don't be afraid to interact with the people and just smile for the cameras. I'll be right next to you the whole time." He tells me reassuringly and I nod. We exit the train and are immediately bombarded by the press. Everyone is shouting my name, the cameras flashing every time I look somewhere. I put on my most Capitol smile, _not to mention my most fake smile_, and wave to the crowd. I walk to the black limo waiting for me and Cinna, with Cinna by my side and the paparazzi trailing our every move. The driver drives us to a big mansion but I think I've been here before. Then it hit's me. _The president's mansion. _I get out of the limo with Cinna and enter the mansion, greeted by many Capitol citizens. They touch me, hug me, kiss my check and I just accept it unwillingly and praying to god that I look like I'm enjoying my time here. I converse in simple chit-chat talking about the newest fashion trends and the famous actors and actresses here. Occasionally people ask for a picture with me, which I accept, trying to please them. I see Gloss with his arm around a woman's waist and he acknowledges me with a nod. I roll my eyes at him and get back to the party. Gloss grabs my arm and pulls me onto his chest, as if we were dancing. Soon the dance floor is deserted, leaving me and Gloss 'dancing' all by ourselves on the dance floor. The music is slow and romantic, and some Capitol citizens join in with their partners, dancing slowly to the song. Gloss looks at me mischievously and I roll my eyes.

"What the hell do you want?" I ask her harshly, looking for Cinna while dancing with him.

"To talk. Why are you here in the Capitol?"

"I'm moving here. It's more convenient for me, this way I can attend all the social events held here in the Capitol." I tell him with a sarcastic tone.

"But I thought-" He starts off but cuts off his sentence quickly. _What was he going to say?_

"But you thought what?"

"Nothing. I have to get back to my date. Nice seeing you Katniss." He calls back, leaving me alone on the dance floor. _Not nice seeing you. _I walk around trying to look for Cinna but find him with a bright haired woman in a pink dress.

"Katniss dear!" Effie's voice chirps out to me, hugging me lightly. "How have you been?" I shrug nonchalantly and eye Cinna, telling him I want to leave, but sadly he doesn't catch on and leaves me with Effie instead. _Well this is going to be an interesting night._

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**AN: PLOT TWIST! Anyways, thank you to 'Kat' for the reviews! I always look forward to your reviews and they always make my day! You always review after I post another chapter and that's what keeps me motivated! Please review! It means so much to me! Review = Love and another chapter tomorrow!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I'm loving the reviews! Thank you so much to the people who reviewed, favourited and follow this fanfic. REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW!**

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Finnick's POV

I'm sitting with my friends in my living room, Killian, Tom and Oceane are watching TV while Caspian reads a Capitol gossip magazine. I just got back from another appointment with a rich business woman from District 4, she owns the biggest fishing companies here and is divorced. I walk into the room and see them busy doing their own thing and sit in between Tom and Killian, tired after a long day.

"Hey, look! It's Katniss!" Caspian shouts, pointing at a picture of Katniss on one of the pages of the gossip magazine._ What! Katniss?_ I jump up and grab the magazine from Caspian's hands and stare at the picture.

"Katniss Everdeen announces her stay in the Capitol." I read out loud. _WHAT! Katniss is moving to the Capitol? _ "We had the opportunity to interview the lovely Katniss Everdeen about her move, 'I think it would be more convenient and beneficial for me to move here so I can stay with the wonderful people from the Capitol and it would be easier for me to attend the social events. I thank the people from the Capitol for accepting me with such kindness.' She said with her dazzling smile." _This is a load bullshit! Kat would never say that. And Kat would most definitely not move to the Capitol! I mean out of all the places?_

"Looks like Katniss really likes those Capitol people to move there huh Finn?" Tom asks me, nudging my shoulder. I growl at the contact and throw the magazine on the counter, _is he really stupid enough to think that this is all true? _I go upstairs and find my telephone, punching in Haymitch's telephone number. I wait for a while before someone picks up.

"Hello?" Haymitch's voice slurs out, bringing a scowl on my face.

"Haymitch! Get your drunk ass out of bed and check the Capitol gossip magazine!" I growl at him, getting impatient with his unbelievably childish and irresponsible behaviour. He grunts and stays quiet for a while, presumably looking for the gossip magazine. "Page 9." I tell him and hear the pages of the magazine flip over from the telephone.

"Katniss Everdeen announces her stay in the- WHAT!" He shouts, and then mumbles the next few lines of explanation from the gossip magazine. "Why the hell didn't she tell me!" He shouts at me angrily, his breathing getting heavier by the second. "Is she going into prostitution? Huh Fishboy? Is that what this is? Fuck, I'm not drunk enough for this. I can't let that happen to her!" He groans and I hear him start banging his fist onto something.

"Well she didn't tell me either! I don't fucking know Haymitch. I told Snow that I would take more appointments so that she wouldn't have to get into prostitution. See? If you weren't to fucked up and drunk, maybe you could have known what she was doing!" I blame him, huffing angrily into the phone. _Drunk bastard! If he thinks he can blame anyone but him, I swear to god I'll kick him in the groin, next time I see him. _"Fuck! You know what Haymitch? I'm going to see Snow today. I'll ask him what's happening myself. And you? You can ask Gale what the hell is going on. Maybe she told him." I tell him, my voice nearly breaking at the mention of Gale. He grunts in response hangs up, I slam the phone down and pack a bag full of clothes and grab my coat and wallet and stomp downstairs.

"Finnick? Where are you going?" Oceane asks, worry shining through her brown eyes.

"I'm going to the Capitol to get Katniss." I tell her, sighing and walking to the door.

"You really do love her, don't you Finn?" Tom asks me, grabbing my wrist. I sigh and shake my head, _I like her, that's for sure. But do I love her? _Tom pats my shoulder and let's go of me, the three of them wishing me good luck before I'm too far away to hear them. I walk up to the train station office, to tell them that I need to go to the Capitol to see President Snow. They usually get me my own train since I am the Capitol's heartthrob and I have usual 'business meetings' with the people from the Capitol. They understand and immediately set up the train I usually use for my departure, _I guess being the Capitol's heartthrob has it's perks. _I sit down on the couch of the train and look out the window, _I hope Katniss is alright. I don't understand. I made a fucking deal with Snow! He promised that he wouldn't force Katniss into prostitution if I took more appointments. But I was kinda naive to think that Snow would live up to the end of his bargain. Guess I learned my lesson. _I watch a Capitol talk show, Agustus and Frank are on as usual, and watch to see if they talk about Katniss.

"Well last night was certainly fun Frank. The people who weren't there sure missed out." Agustus says to Frank, now laughing at something.

"Oh and that man that fell in the punchbowl Agustus? Now that was simply hilarious."

"Oh but we can't forget the main event from last night's party Frank!"

"Ah yes! The lovely Katniss Everdeen dancing with her fellow victor, Gloss Beckham!" Frank says, and looks back at the screen behind them, now showing pictures of Katniss slow-dancing with Gloss. _My heart aches and I am immediately jealous of the proximity between Katniss and Gloss. I yearn for her touch, the ones that send hot trails of tingles down my spine and make my breathing heavier. Why am I so jealous? _I growl and turn the TV off, sick of seeing them together, _my heart keeps breaking because of them. Why do I feel so weak and vulnerable when it comes to Katniss? I'm The Finnick Odair. The Capitol's heartthrob. Girls fawn over me! I do not fawn over girls! _As much as I hate it, I need to know what happened so I reluctantly turn the TV back on, picking up the remote that I threw on the wall in frustration.

"I recall that this isn't the first time we have seen them together. Am I mistaken Frank?" Agustus asks, scratching the back of his head, his green hair becoming even messier than before.

"Oh yes, the Girl on Fire was Gloss Beckham's date for an interview with Caesar! I have to admit, I do love them together as a couple." Frank comments, smiling smugly at his companion. When he says the last part, I fell my fists clenched hard and I grit my teeth in annoyance, _She's not even my girlfriend and yet I'm this furious? Wonder how I would react if she was my girlfriend. _

"Really? But we're forgetting something aren't we Frank? Well, someone actually!"

"And who might that be Agustus?" Frank asks, rolling his eyes at Agustus then facing him.

"Well, Mr. Sex Symbol of Panem, of course! Finnick Odair! Have you forgotten the clips of Mr. Odair in the mentor's lounge when the Girl on Fire was in the arena for her game?" _I hate that they made those videos public. I mean, I was a mess when she was in her games, those were private moments that I intended to keep private, for only me and the mentors that saw to remember and see._

"Oh how could I forget! I've got to say though Agustus, it doesn't seem like Ms. Everdeen has the same feeling for him after seeing her with Gloss Beckham." I cringe at this, _No. Katniss doesn't like him. Maybe she does, but I can't jump to conclusions now. _

"Yes, what a shame. The most handsome man and the most beautiful woman in Panem as a couple? Now that's something I would love to see!" Agustus exclaims, chuckling. _It's not only you who wants that to happen Agustus, trust me. _I shake my head and grab a sugar cube from the bowl of sugar cubes on the table in the living room.

"But then, how would she deal with all of Mr. Odair's" Frank hesitates for a moment, searching for the right words, "adoring fans?" I growl, _I don't care about them! I only aim to please them for Katniss' sake and my family's. _

"Haven't you been catching up with the news Frank? Katniss Everdeen is now the most popular victor, along with Finnick Odair of course, and now has thousands of adoring fans all across Panem! I think Finnick Odair might also have troubles dealing with all of Katniss' fans as well." He says chuckling, I growl at the mention of Katniss' fans. _Fans. Our fans who are in love and in lust with us! Our fans who just want our bodies and want to fuck us. Both women and men want us, and are prepared to pay a large amount of money to spend a night in our 'company'. It sickens me. _

"Well, we will just have to see how this plays out." Frank says and starts to talk about something else regarding the newest movie out in the Capitol. I roll my eyes and lay down on the couch, my feet dangling from the side because of my height. I start to tie knots with the rope I have brought from home. It reminds me of Annie, _Oh Annie. What am I going to do?_ I thought Annie was my first love, being my girlfriend and all. But know I know that it was just a crush, I mean she will always be in my heart and I will always have the feeling of guilt in my heart knowing that I couldn't save her. But I know Katniss is my first love now. _Love. Am I sure though? Maybe it's just like Annie. It's just a small crush. Sure I think she's attractive and feisty, but do I love her?_

"I'm sorry to interrupt Mr. Odair, but we will be arriving in a few minutes." The train attendant tells me, and I sit up and get my bag. I look in the mirror and fix my hair, making sure that I still look good to keep up with my Capitol image. The train stops and I walk out of the train, some Capitol people recognising me and running over to talk to me. I quickly hail a cab and tell the driver to go to Snow's mansion. _I hope I'm not too late. If Katniss turns out to already be forced into prostitution? I don't know what I'd do. _I give the cab driver some money and walk up to the front doors, opening it to walk into his mansion to see 6 peacekeepers in guard. They nod at me an I continue to his main office. _Must have thought I was going to have another meeting with Snow. _The peacekeepers are familiar with me and they don't suspect anything from me anymore because of my usual visits here to meet Snow. I enter the room where his secretary is seated behind a counter, typing away on her computer.

"I'm here to see President Snow." I tell her sternly, waiting for her to look up. When she does, her eyebrows raise in surprise and she blushes.

"Mr. Odair? What a surprise! We did not expect you here." She says awkwardly, _no shit you didn't expect me here. I'm visiting on impulse because of Katniss!_

"Yeah, well I need to see him." I tell her, "Immediately." She looks hesitant, not knowing what to do. "It's important." I tell her sternly, raising my eyebrows in annoyance. She then reluctantly gets up and goes to Snow's main office, closing the door behind her. I wait impatiently, growing restless by the minute. Finally, she comes out and gestures for me to come in. I find Snow sitting behind his desk, looking out of his windows that show his garden.

"Mr. Odair. What brings you here to the Capitol? As I recall, you don't have any appointments here this week." He says, turning to face me. He tells me to sit down, which I do reluctantly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm here because of Katniss." I tell him sternly, glaring at him with hatred. He chuckles lightly, his puffy red lips look swollen as ever.

"Ah yes, Ms. Everdeen. She has been wonderful towards the Capitol and provided us with her company." He starts, I tense up at the mention of 'her company'. _Does this mean she's a prostitute now? _I growl and stand up, hitting my hands on his desk.

"What the hell do you mean by her company? We had an agreement! I take more appointments and she doesn't become a prostitute! You agreed!" I shout at him, fuming and breathing heavily. _I could just rip his head off right now. _

"And I am acknowledging that agreement by now making her a prostitute. But remember Mr. Odair, that was the only thing you bargained for. For her not to be a prostitute. That does not mean I cannot offer her with any other offers I have in store." He says slyly. _Fucking bastard! TWISTED OLD MAN! Calm down Finnick. At least Kat isn't a prostitute._

"What offer are you talking about?" I ask shortly. I'm too angry to say anything without threatening to kill him, so I figured to just talk shortly and straight to the point.

"Ms. Everdeen is to move here to the Capitol to attend every social event that I tell her to. It will make the events more festive and more profitable for me if she came." He tells me, smirking evilly. I growl and glare at him, _profitable._ "Remember Mr. Odair, you never bargained for anything else other than ensuring she does not go into prostitution."

"Then I'll move here. To stay with her." His eyebrows shoot up in amusement and he chuckles.

"Fond of our Girl on Fire are we?" He says sarcastically, _OUR Girl on Fire? _I cringe and he continues, "And why are you willing to move here for her?"

"Why do you care? As I see it, it would be more convenient and beneficial for you. I can stay here with her and you can make more profitable appointments for me to have." I tell him with disgust, if this is one of the sacrifices I will have to make to stay with her and make sure she's safe, then so be it. _I'll do anything for you, Kat. _"And, I get to stay in the same apartment with her."He chuckles at my suggestion then thinks about it for a minute, twirling a rose in between his fingers.

"Fine. You will stay here for the month with Ms. Everdeen until the games start. You will receive your daily appointments and I will send a limo for you." He tells me, I let out a big sigh of relief, relieved that I am allowed to stay with Katniss. "There will be a limo outside waiting for you to send you to Ms. Everdeen's apartment. Now, if that is all Mr. Odair, will you please leave so that I may return to my work." He orders me and I get up and take my bag, walking quickly out of his office more than relieved to be out of there. I nod at the secretary, silently thanking her. I find myself out of his mansion and on the streets of the Capitol. I see the limousine and the driver opens the door for me, I slide inside and wait for him to head to the apartment.

"To Ms. Everdeen's apartment please." I tell the driver, he nods and drives the car to Katniss' place. The Capitol hasn't changed much since I left with Katniss after the games. There were posters of Thalia all over the place since she had just won, but her victory wasn't all too great and memorable like Katniss' was. And not being desirably didn't help, well it helped her with not having to become like the other victors, prostitutes. Now, there were posters of the new upcoming movie and some of Katniss with Gloss and Katniss with me. I felt sick to the stomach looking at the view in front of me, it's like the whole Capitol is waiting for her decision. This makes me even more nervous, if I was afraid of rejection before. Well this is another whole sensation new to me. _I never felt nervous because of the fear of rejection, since, well nobody has ever rejected me. I had girls throw themselves to me, wether I liked it or not. And now? When I do like someone, she's too oblivious to see it. _The car stops and I look at the apartment, it was big and luxurious. _Figures. The Capitol's sweetheart and heartthrob should always be in the most luxurious and expensive place, now shouldn't they? _I thank the driver and get out of the car, slinging my bag onto my shoulder and enter the building. I ask the receptionist for a key to Katniss' apartment, telling her that I have a note from President Snow. She gives it to me, and flirts with me while doing it. I just smirk and play it off, and walk away when she gives me my key. I enter the elevator and punch the number 24, waiting for the elevator to rise up to the 24th floor. When it reaches the floor, I walk down the hall and find the door leading to Katniss' room which I will be staying at. I put in the key and turn it, unlocking the door. _She must be inside. _I turn the handle slowly and open the door to find Katniss, sitting on the couch silently. Her head turns to my direction and her eyes lighten up at the sight of me.

"Finnick? FINNICK!" She shouts hurtling herself to my direction and jumps onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I chuckle and hug her tightly, inhaling her scent that I miss. _Pinewood and lavender._

"Hey Kat." I whisper into her ear, making her shudder. _I'm so glad you're okay. _

"I missed you." She whispers, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck. _I missed you too Kat. _

"I missed you too." I tell her, pulling my face back to get a look at her. She blushes and looks down but doesn't pull away from our intimate position. "You didn't call me so I started to worry. And next thing I knew, I saw you on one of the Capitol gossip magazines announcing your stay in the Capitol. Why didn't you tell me Kat? I was so worried that I called Haymitch and scolded his drunk ass for being so oblivious to his surroundings and to you." I tell her, worry shining through my eyes. She sighs and hugs me closer, looking up at me through her dark long eyelashes._ Oh Katniss. What are we going to do with you?_

"I didn't know what to do. Snow told me to keep it a secret from anyone but my family and Gale." _Gale. _I cringe at the mention of his name but I listen to her explanation regardless. "He told me to move here or not he would kill my family and Gale. I was scared at first but then I became determined to keep them alive from his cruel ways." She says, scowling enflaming the fire within her eyes to it's original state like before her games. She climbs off me, smoothing out her shirt and pants, then looks at me curiously. "How did you find me? I mean sure the Capitol magazines announced my stay but no one knew where I was staying aside from some people." She asks me curiously, tilting her head to the side like a lost kitten.

"Snow told me." I tell her shortly. Her eyes widen in surprise and she looks at me intently, silently telling me to continue. "When I heard about you stay, I knew something wasn't right so I took train straight to the Capitol from District 4. I went to the Snow's office to see what was going on and when he told me about the offer he offered you, well I was furious. But I did manage to convince him to let me stay with you here in this apartment until your times up, which is only a month away. So, looks like I'm moving in with you." I tell her cheekily, smirking and waggling my eyebrows. I tense up and continue with the fear of being rejected, "If that's okay with you of course?"

"Of course it's okay Finnick. You're welcome to stay here with me until the games. Besides! Who else will annoy and keep me on schedule if not for you?" She says teasingly. Before I'm able to respond I hear a thud from another room which makes Katniss and I grow silent.

"Katniss?" A voice calls out. And soon, a figure comes out of the room. It's Gloss.

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**AN: Like it? Hate it? Please tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. Reviews = Love and another chapter tomorrow!**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Thank you for your reviews! They make me more motivated and I just love hearing from you guys! I love them so so so much! Anyway, I have volleyball tryouts tomorrow so maybe it'll be up late but only by an hour or so. REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW! REVIEW PLEASE!**

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Finnick's POV

"Katniss?" A voice calls out. And soon, a figure comes out of the room. It's Gloss. _What the hell is he doing here? _Gloss looks at Katniss then glances my way, shocked so see me there with Katniss. "Finnick? What are you doing here?" He asks me, furrowing his eyebrows. _I could ask you the same thing. _"It's good seeing you." He says, giving me a man hug. "I'm going to go. Are you sure you're okay with me leaving?" Gloss asks Katniss, with a look in his eyes that only someone so oblivious could miss._ Love. He loves Katniss, or at least cares about her. _I frown a bit at the realisation and try to mask it, putting on a pokerface, not showing any expression. Katniss rolls her eyes and snorts, making Gloss chuckle a bit.

"Yes Gloss! As I said before, you can leave" She says, showing him to the door.

"Don't miss me too much." He says, chuckling and grabbing his bag from the couch.

"I'll try not to show my excitement too much." She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes and closing the door behind her.

"So," I started off awkwardly, walking my way up to Katniss, who is now sitting behind the counter in the kitchen. "Why was Gloss here?" I ask her but she ignores me, not even glancing at me afterwards. "Are you and him? You know. Together?" I ask her hesitantly, not really wanting to hear her answer. _I don't think I really want to know. Please don't break my heart harshly. Put me down easily. I don't think I'll be able to handle it though. Her and Gloss. _

"What!" She shouts, her eyes widening at my assumption. _What? Why is she so surprised? It's not like I wouldn't be the only one to assume that if other people came into the apartment and saw only the two of them together._ "What the hell are you talking about Finnick!" She says, scowling at me. "Of course not! I've been trying to get him out of here for the past hour. We are most definitely not together. I can't even stand being in one room with him for 2 hours, let along be in a relationship with him. I don't go for idiotic, arrogant, obnoxious men, if you didn't already know that." She says, rolling her eyes and standing up. _Oh thank god! Wait, did she just say? She said she doesn't go for idiotic, arrogant, OBNOXIOUS men! And she always says that I'm obnoxious. Is she hinting something? That she would never even think of me in that way, a romantic way? No Finnick stop assuming things. She was talking about Gloss, not you_. "And for your information, he escorted me home and was here to see if I was okay and how I am coping with the move and everything."She says with fierceness and anger in her words and rolls her eyes at me, _is she mad at me now? I'm glad he was there for her, even though I should've been here for her. That's my job. Worrying for Katniss and taking care of her. But I guess I should have thanked Gloss. He was here when I couldn't be. _ She stomps away and goes to the balcony, looking out at the view of the Capitol buildings, much similar to the view from the Training Centre, specifically, the balcony on her floor. I sigh and follow her to the balcony and stand beside her, leaning on the balcony railing.

"I'm sorry Kat. For assuming things an overreacting a bit." I tell her looking at her with pleading eyes. _Please forgive me. _She sighs then rolls her eyes, shaking her head when she turns to meet my eyes.

"It's okay. You're not the only one who thinks we're together." She says with disgust in her tone, scowling at her previous statement. The end of my mouth quirks up a bit, making a crooked smile appear on my face in amusement. Her face hardens and she stays quiet for a few seconds, as if thinking about something deeply. She then looks at me with questioning eyes and asks me something. "Why do you care? About me and Gloss? You seemed to make such a fuss about it, since the interviews." She asks me curiously, _and bluntly,_ furrowing her eyebrows and tilting her head. _Is she really this clueless? She doesn't even know the effect she has on people. Especially me. Oh Kat, if only you knew. _I chuckle and turn to face her, tucking a strand of hair from her face to behind her ear. I look straight into her fiery grey eyes, the ones that caught my eye in the first place and made me want to meet her. I place my cup her right cheek with on of my hands, stroking her supple cheek with my thumb. _I love you. I know now, for sure. I love you Katniss Everdeen. I love you more than life itself. _

"I just don't want to see anyone hurt you. Especially an idiotic, arrogant bastard like Gloss." I tell her, reciting her previous statement, causing her to chuckle and a corner of her lips quirks up into a crooked smile, shaking her head in amusement. "If you haven't noticed already Kat, I really care about you. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you. And as bad as it sounds, I hate seeing other men with you. Especially other men who aren't immune to your fiery, loveable personality and gorgeous, goddess-like looks." I tell her, bringing her closer to my chest, my other arm wrapped around her waist. I stared and analysed Katniss' features, her olive-white skin, the small freckles sprinkled across her nose and her soft, brown hair that I have grown used to stroking and playing with. Flushed and self-conscious, Katniss looks down, finally seeing our proximity and avoids my gaze, biting her lip. _God, she looks so beautiful. _I looked down to see her face, my height making our faces a few inches apart from each other.I lift her chin to meet my gaze with my thumb and forefinger, our foreheads touching. I stared into her beautiful grey orbs as she looked up into my sea-green eyes, our eyes locked onto each other's. _I, Finnick Odair, along with every other man in Panem, has fallen for Katniss Everdeen. _I slowly leaned in, parting my lips slightly and pressed her lips against mine, our lips moving as one. As our lips touched, I could feel her heart beating faster against my chest, our kiss slow, yet passionate. The whole world stopped and nothing else seemed to matter aside from Katniss. Katniss. She's actually kissing me. Her lips were soft, fitting perfectly against mine, _my missing puzzle piece, _the caress of her lips softer than I could have ever imagined. Her mouth tasted minty, and I could taste a bit of- _Sugar? _I smiled into the kiss, realising that she took my advice on the sugar cubes. My hand that was dropped from her cheeked slowly slid its way to her neck, caressing it and then sliding its way onto her supple cheek, feeling the warmth radiated off her cheek. _This kiss feels so much different to any other kiss. Obviously different with the ones I share with my clients, but with Annie? The kisses we shared is so much different to this one. This one feels right. _I poured out all my emotions into that 1 kiss, all the love, care, worry and endearment I feel for her, hoping to god that she would feel it too. Passion burned within the kiss, desire in it too. Both our eyes were close, savouring this moment while it lasted. Sadly, she pulls away after some time, her forehead leaning against mine. She smiled sweetly at me, her eyes shining with happiness. Serenity overwhelmed me, and I stood there with my forehead leaning against her's, hoping that this night would never end. I couldn't help but grin cockily at my achievement. _I kissed Katniss and she kissed back. _After what feels like forever of us just looking deeply into each other's eyes, Katniss pulls away and steps back a few steps, her cheeks still red and looks down onto her feet.

"Uh, we should go sleep. It's late already." She says shortly then starts to walk away but waits for me when she notices my absence behind her. I chuckle then follow her closely, joining her in her room. _Katniss Everdeen. The strong fiery, determined, witty and sarcastic girl from 12 who always blushes and flees at the mention of sex or anything remotely sexual. _I take off my shirt and pants, leaving my chest unclad and me only in my boxers. I get under the covers of Katniss' white queen-sized bed and soon is joined by Katniss who is now in a very revealing lace nightgown. She blushes then turn off the lights, climbing into bed beside me and sleeps facing the other way, far from my reach. I frown, _come on Kat. Don't act like nothing happened. Don't leave your fishboy hanging. _I grab her waist using my arm and pull her towards me, Katniss still facing the other way but now has her back leaning against her chest and her head just beneath my chin. I smile and kiss her forehead, stroking her hair and lulling her to sleep, soon finding myself drowsy and finally sleeping.

"That's ridiculous!" I hear Katniss shout, I stretch my arms and reach out for Katniss but find her gone and missing from my side. I groan and rub the sleep off my eyes, getting up to search for Katniss.

"Why can't you just admit it? It's obvious that he does Katniss." I hear a husky voice exclaim, it sounds like, _Gloss. _I growl involuntarily and silently get to the door, deciding to eavesdrop their conversation.

"Finnick doesn't love me. Why would he?" Katniss says, _They're talking about me. About my feelings for Kat! And, she doesn't think I love her. God Katniss, how are you so oblivious? _

"He moved all the way to the Capitol, out of all the places, for you Katniss! Even though it means more appointments for him, he still risked it all, just to be with you!" Gloss says, trying to talk some sense into her, irritation obvious in his tone. _Wait. Gloss is backing me up? Why? I thought he liked Katniss? _

"Finnick doesn't love me. And neither do I." My heart feels like it has just been stabbed, multiple times. _Katniss doesn't love me. _

"Sure Katniss. Try telling that to the rest of Panem. You kissed him yesterday! And I see the way you look at him." Gloss says to her, silencing her. It's silent so I decide to lean further to hear clearer.

"So what if I do look at him in a certain way? That kiss was probably just a spur of the moment for him anyways." She says, finally breaking the silence. I frown at her words, _no Katniss. It wasn't just a spur of the moment. It meant the world for me. _

"Then say it. Say you don't love him." Gloss says daring Katniss. I feel myself leaning furthermore and can hear the obvious hesitation coming from Katniss. _I don't think I'm ready for this. _I slam the door open and put on my mask, the Capitol smirk and go into the living room where Katniss and Gloss are.

"Gloss? Funny seeing you here again." I tell him, patting his shoulder before going to Katniss. She looks at me with pleading eyes, silently begging for me not to make a scene with Gloss right now, which I just nod to acknowledge.

"Oh yeah, I was just having a friendly chat with Katniss over here. She has something to say." Gloss says, his eyes widening, urging Katniss to say something.

"Really? I heard a lot of shouting from the room. Heard a lot of things actually!" I tell them cheekily, smirking at Katniss who was now alert and glaring at Gloss. "Who don't you love Kat?" I ask her mischievously, amused when I find her lost for words. Gloss laughs, but before her can say anything Katniss interrupts him.

"Nobody! I would say that I'm sad to tell you to leave Gloss, but I'm not. So please just leave before I do something that you might regret making me do." She threatens with a death glare. Gloss surrenders and raises his arms, going out the door. Katniss sighs, massaging the bridge of her nose using her thumb and forefinger then turns to me. "Sorry for waking you up. I didn't want to wake you." She murmurs, looking at me through her thick, dark eyelashes. I chuckle and kiss her forehead, hoping she would catch up and finally realise my feelings for her.

"It's okay. Your conversation was quite amusing." I tell her cheekily and cup her supple cheek, just like I did yesterday. Her eyes widen and she shakes her head in embarrassment and sits down at the dining table, our breakfast already laid out on the table in front of the us. I take a seat in front of her and start to munch on some bread, pouring orange juice into my glass. "Today's my last day off from work. Do you want to go somewhere with me today? I want to show you something." I ask her, hoping she wouldn't have to go somewhere under Snow's orders today. She smiles and nods, then returning her focus entirely to the platter of food in front of her. We eat in comfortable silence, enjoying the food and savouring each bite. Afterwards, Katniss takes a quick shower and comes out in a black dress similar to the one she wore in one of her previous interviews with Caesar. I shower after that and dress in simple brown pants and a white button up, the first 2 buttons unbuttoned, showing off a part of my chiseled, sculpted chest. "Ready?" I ask her, taking her hand in mine, intertwining our fingers together and smirking at her flushed face. We get out of our room, locking the door and going down to the lobby with the elevator, our fingers still intertwined with each other's. As we get to the lobby, any people start to glance at us and murmur rumours and assumptions, seeing our hands and how close we are.

"Finnick, what if Snow punishes you?" She asks full of worry and confusion._ I honestly don't care anymore. He'll probably let me off with a warning and I never get them. He won't risk pissing me off. _I smirk at her, and peck her cheek, just because I felt like it. This causes people to go crazy, texting and taking pictures of us from afar, obviously not wanting to disturb our intimate moment.

"I don't care. As long as you're okay with this, then who cares? Snow will probably just send me a warning, or make me go to more appointments." I tell her nonchalantly, _I don't feel anymore with my clients. I feel dead, empty. I'm always in a passive mood, it's like I'm not there. I still do what they want to,but it's like my body's doing the work and I'm not doing anything. Just watching from afar and shutting off inside myself. _Katniss smiles at me and we exit the building and walk on the sidewalk. "It's been a long time since I've done this. Just walking around with someone I care about." I tell her, _wait did I just say that out loud? Fuck! Finnick you idiot! _Katniss blushes but then notices how embarrassed I am after saying that.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. It's kind of sweet, actually. Not a lot of guys talk about their feelings. Especially not narcissistic, obnoxious, self-centred jerks like you." She says, a playful tone emerging as she says the last part. "But then again, you're different. You're also kind, warm-hearted, understanding. And you did the impossible." Katniss says, _the impossible?_ "You managed to break down my walls and make me open up to you." She says, biting her lip in uncertainty. "Well that, and inflate your ego even more, every time I say something bad about you." She says sarcastically, shaking her head and laughing in amusement. I chuckle and tell her to turn right, we're almost there. "Oh and by the way, Gloss told me to tell you that he's 'hitting it on with a blonde chick' from his district." Katniss tells me, making air quotations as she does so, which causes me to laugh. _I know Gloss isn't actually getting together with someone from his district. He just wants to tell me that He doesn't see Katniss in that way, but seeing that we never get time alone to talk, he's making Katniss tell me. Without her even knowing. _

"That's nice." I tell her, still laughing and shaking my head in amusement. I see the park sign and pull her into the park. It's usually crowded but since it's Monday, not a lot of people are here. "We're almost there." I tell her and squeeze her right hand that is intertwined with mine, and pull her with me. I find the 2 bushes blocking the entrance and slip in between them, pulling Katniss with me. We're here. The small pond with lily-pads on the water and the small bench in front of the pond, flowers of every colour on all the bushes surrounding this peaceful and serene place.

"It's beautiful." She says in astonishment, looking around the place. I nod and look at her, her features enhanced by the light provided her. _You're beautiful Katniss._

"Yeah, beautiful." She notices that I'm looking at her, telling her that she is in fact beautiful and not the garden, and blushes, hiding from my gaze and biting her lip.

"Don't hide something that's so beautiful Katniss." I tell her, cupping her supple cheek using my right hand and slipping my other arm around her waist. She bites her lip, getting nervous. "If you keep biting your lip, I might have to kiss you." I tell her, my lips curling into a seductive smirk, waggling my eyebrows, which cause her to laugh lightly. When we stop, we look at each other and she leans in, closing her eyes and presses her lips onto mine. This kiss is different from the last one, there's a sense of urgency and passion from her side. I kiss back immediately, longing for her touch. My right hand moves to the back of her head, and I lightly push her head, pushing our lips closer together, our lips still moving in unison. We breathed our love into this kiss, love that I am so certain is there in her heart for me. This kiss, hard but soft, fiery yet chilling, urgent and passionate, full of love and desire. I never want to break apart, but sadly we need to breathe so we pull back and lean our head together, our noses touching each other's.

"Kat, I love you." I tell her sincerely, still out of breathe.

"I love you too Finnick." She tells me, taking a deep breathe and looking up into my sea-green eyes. The grin on my face is so wide that my cheeks hurt but I don't care because Kat loves me. _Katniss Everdeen loves me._ _I now know that I am the happiest man in Panem._

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**AN: I know what some of you guys are thinking; 'FINALLY!' Aha, yeah I didn't want to rush it because I wanted it to become something really special for both of them, since this would be Katniss' first relationship and Finnick has his own problems to overcome and his feelings towards Katniss is something like really important and special for him, which he never felt with Annie. So, like it? Hate it? Please tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: I can't believe this fanfic has reached 100+ reviews. This makes me so happy and I just want to thank you all so much! When I first wrote this fanfic, I thought it was crap and I was just going to delete it the next day, but after receiving your reviews, well I kept on writing! Thank you all so very much! Please review! Tell me what you look forward to or give me some ideas, maybe I'll use them in the upcoming chapters! REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW! REVIEW PLEASE!**

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Finnick's POV

Life was great. After Katniss confessed her love to me, we stayed in the park, talking about random things and our lives then went home and slept immediately, exhausted from walking around the park. The few following weeks after that were just simply amazing. Katniss was showing her affection to me more, allowing me to kiss her regularly and kissing me back. She also had to attend several social events, in which, she took me with her as her date. She still blushed and glared at me whenever I flirted with her and teased her in front of the Capitol people,_ but I guess some things never change. _The public has caught on to us, now thinking that we are 'lovers', but never has anyone come up and asked us about it. I still had appointments daily, sometimes having to attend 2 or 3 appointments a day, but Katniss distracted me and took my mind away from it when I wasn't at an appointment, which is definitely, a good thing.

"Finnick, my love?" I roll my eyes and clench my jaw, _my love really? _I shake my head lightly and try to put my Capitol mask on, grinning at the ginger-haired woman who has bought me for the night.

"Yes dear?" I coo into her ear softly, trying so hard not to show my obvious irritation towards her. _I should be at home with Katniss, not with this woman. Home. _I smile at the thought, _yes, I can call the apartment room Katniss and I share my home. Wherever Katniss is, then that's my home._ I am suddenly brought back into reality when I feel the woman run her finger up and down my chest, and I grit my teeth from the cold trail she's leaving, giving the impression as if her fingers are poisonous and deadly. I restrain myself from damn near smacking her hand away, clenching my jaw even tighter and sighing in frustration. She kisses my neck and nips at my skin, trying to make a hickey on my neck. I push her down and straddle her waist, restricting her from doing anything else. _She's already had me and now she wants more? _The woman squeals then has her hands up my thighs, looking at me with her now darkened eyes, full of lust and wanting. She bites her lips, trying to look seductive and sexy, but evidently failing. _It's different with how Kat does it, when Kat bites her lips, it's alluring, mysterious, sexy and just makes you want to kiss her luscious lips right away. But this woman, her cheeks look artificial. Cold and made to look like she has rosy cheeks as if blushing. Her lips look sickening, purple like she just had some blueberries, not bothering to wipe it off. Everything about her is modified by the Capitol, making her look artificial and plastic. _The woman moans, bringing her hand to my stomach, feeling my rock-hard abs and seeing the contrast between her pale white skin and my tanned one. She sits up, wrapping her arms around my neck for support then licking her lips and kissing my neck, moaning at the contact. I hear the clock beep, signalling the end of my appointment. I grin involuntarily but remembering the woman I pretend to frown and out, pulling her back down away from my neck. "I have to leave, love." I tell her, stroking her cheek with my thumbs quickly then getting up from bed and putting my clothes back on. Still naked, she jumps onto me and wraps her legs around my waist, laying butterfly kisses all over my face.

"Don't go." She whispers in between kisses, still peppering my face with them. _If she thinks I'm staying with her on my own accord, she's definitely delusive._ I push her away and quickly put on my pants and shirt, not wanting to deal with her. "You know I can file a complaint if you aren't submissive." She tells me, then walks over to me, swaying her hips then running her finger down my arm. _She thinks I don't know that? That I forgot? That's the only thing that get's me through my appointments, knowing that if I don't, someone will get killed because of it. _"So I suggest you come to bed again with me. Or I might just tell Snow that you have been a naughty boy." She says creepily, winking at me. _Hell no. Fuck you. _

"I'm already allowed to go. You had an hour with me, an hour. No more. Goodbye, dear." I tell her with hatred in my words. She huffs in frustration then sits back down on her bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"I will complain to Snow!" She shouts before I slam the door. _Delusive bitch. She already got an hour with me!_ I shake my head and head to the limo, slipping inside the seat and rubbing circles onto my forehead. _God, this is a mess. I hope Katniss is at home. I can't wait to see her. _The driver nods at me acknowledging me then changes the gear, putting the car into motion. I decide to take a nap in the mean time, I mean it was 8 o'clock in the morning and I just had a tiring appointment. I feel my eyes drooping and my breathing stable, already settled in a snooze.

"Excuse me sir? We're here." I hear the driver say from his seat, I sit up in my seat, rub my eyes and let out a small yawn. I take a look outside and see not the apartment building, but Snow's mansion.

"Why are we here and not the apartment?" I ask him, _he knows I usually go back to the apartment after every appointment. _

"President Snow requested to meet you. He told me to take you here." He says shortly, then getting out of the car and opening my door. I get out of the car and thank him, going into the mansion. As soon as I open the door, the smell of synthetic roses hitting my nostrils. I shudder and walk through the hallways, nodding at Snow's secretary who seems to know that Snow requested to see me, and open the doors to Snow's main office. Snow turns around to see who it is and his lips curl into an evil smile when he sees me.

"Mr. Odair. I would say it is nice seeing you, but I don't think that would be suitable to say in this case." He says, shaking his head and gesturing me to the couch placed in front of a big black TV. I raise my eyebrows at him, questioning him. _What the hell does he mean? _"You have received a complaint from Mrs. Penning. She has told me that you weren't submissive and fairly rude to her." Snow tell me, _why that bitch! _

"My time was over! It was already an hour. That's the rule, 1 appointment, 1 hour." I try to reason with him, scared of the punishment I know is coming.

"Ah but Mrs. Penning was going to pay more for extra time to have your services. But I guess you have disappointed the both of us." He says, trying to sound regretful. I frown, _what is he going to do. _He turns on the TV with his remote, the black screen now showing a dark haired girl sitting on a grey bed. Wait, it's Katniss! _Kat! What the hell has he done to you. _"As I recall, you are particularly fond of Ms. Everdeen. Well you know what happens when you disappoint Mr. Odair." He says, his words full of hatred and cruelty yet sounding so light.

"Don't you dare touch her!" I shout at him, glaring daggers at him. He chuckles then points to the TV. Katniss is now joined by a man, but I've seen him before. James Clement, the actor from the Capitol! I growl but watch intently, not wanting to miss anything. James walks over to Katniss who is sitting in the middle of the bed, and straddles her waist. _What the hell? _ James kisses Katniss' cheeks, going down to her jaw, then nibbling her earlobe. _No! Kat! _Katniss looks uncomfortable, her head moving to dodge the kisses but it's inevitable and unavoidable, making Katniss squirm from underneath James. _I'm sorry Katniss. _James growls and makes her lie down on her back, trapping her under his arms and kissing her roughly, grinding into her. _Shit. Katniss. I'm so sorry. _

"Come on Katniss! Show me what the Girl on Fire can do!" He shouts encouragingly to Katniss, who glares at him and squirms harder. I growl at the sight of them and stand up, glaring at Snow.

"Stop! Stop! I'll do anything! Just don't hurt her!" I shout to Snow, who seemed amused. He clicks a blue button on his remote which causes James' watch to light up and beep. James frowns then gets up, releasing Katniss, but still has a strong grip around her wrist.

"This was fun. I heard that you have a fiery attitude. Must mean you're wild in bed. I can't wait to see that next time." He whispers to her, leaving the room. _The fuck he will! There won't be a next time. _Katniss curls up into a ball and cries silently. _I'm so sorry Katniss. I'm so stupid. _I feel something hot drip down my cheek and I notice that I'm crying.

"Just remember Mr. Odair, no more complaints. You wouldn't want your precious Kat to get hurt now do you?" He says, laughing maniacally. I ignore him, still watching the screen with intent. Katniss now stops crying and stands up, her jaw and fists clenched and the fire and determination back in her eyes. She whispers something too quiet for me to hear then leaves the room. I bolt out of Snow's office, desperately needing to be with Katniss to make sure that she's okay. I run out of the mansions, yelling to the driver that I'll be walking and head to my apartment. I don't know how long it takes me to get to the apartment building but I finally make it, and hit the button for the 24th floor repeatedly, as if making the elevator go faster. _Come on. Come on. Why is this elevator so slow! _I feel like I might rip my head off and I can't stop moving, anxious to see Katniss. When the elevator door opens, I slam the door open.

"Kat?" I shout, looking for her in the kitchen. "Katniss!" I shout, looking in the living room. _Where the hell is she! _"Katniss!" I run to the bedroom and find her lying down under the covers, staring at me. "Katniss! God, don't do that to me ever again!" I shout, flinging myself on top of her, hugging her tightly, laying butterfly kisses all over her face, making her giggle. _Oh my god. Thank god you're okay. _

"Didn't think you would miss me this much Fishboy. We just saw each other this morning." She says giggling, teasing me.

"I couldn't wait to get back to be with you right after I stepped out of our apartment and locked the door. It's been an hour. So yes, I would say that I was dying to see you." I tell her, I quietly check for any bruises on her skin and find one on her waist and on her wrist. _Shit. How strong was James' grip on her wrist? If I see him, I'll make sure he'll have more bruises than Kat when I'm through with him._ I cringe and touch them and she flinches, jumping back a bit. "Sorry, are you okay?" I ask her, she nods hesitantly. _Shit. They must hurt a lot. Well no shit Finnick. _ "I'm so sorry Katniss. I know about James. It's my fault. It's my fucking fault for not being the worthless whore I am to her. I received a complaint, that's why he punished you. To threaten me. I'm so sorry Katniss. I love you so much." I plead, hugging her tighter, tucking my face in the crook of her neck, my face hidden because of her hair. I cry silently onto her shoulder, dampening her shirt a bit. _I'm so sorry Katniss. I love you so much. I'm so sorry._

"Hey, it's okay Finnick. We all do mistakes sometimes. And it's not your fault for standing up for yourself. I'm okay, really. Come on. Stop crying. I'm supposed to have a strong boyfriend, not a dramatic cry-baby." She says trying to comfort me, stroking my hair and kissing my cheek and nose. I chuckle and pull back, a grin already on my face. _Did she just call me a dramatic cry-baby? Oh, I'll show here how strong I am. _

"So I'm your boyfriend huh?" I ask her, waggling my eyebrows. _Boyfriend. I like the sound of that._ She blushes then looks down. "I'm kidding Kat. You're my girlfriend and I'm your boyfriend. Lovers, just like the Capitol people say." I tell her, my lips curling into a smirk which causes her to blush when she notices the double-meaning from it. _Lovers. I wish._

"You wish Odair." She says scoffing, playfully pushing my shoulder.

"Oh, but I do, Everdeen. More than you will ever know." I coo into her ear, my voice husky and seductively low. She rolls her eyes and scoffs, her cheeks still showing a tint of red.

"Which reminds me, Effie called to tell us that we have an interview scheduled in the evening. Apparently, they want to talk to the 'hottest couple in Panem'." She says, rolling her eyes and shaking her head in pure annoyance. _Another interview? Really? Well at least this time Katniss will be there with me._

"Hottest couple in Panem? Well, it's probably true since I'm in this relationship. Have I ever mentioned that I am the most handsome man in Panem? You should be proud to have me as your boyfriend Ms. Everdeen." I say jokingly, giving her a soft peck on her nose which causes her to scrunch up her nose like a small kitten. _I'm kidding. She knows she's the most beautiful woman in Panem. Everyone knows. She would probably be the most beautiful person in Panem, if I wasn't here. Nah, she probably would beat me in that too._

"You? The most handsome man in Panem? There must be a mix-up." She retorters back sarcastically. I feigned hurt, putting my hand over my heart and pouting.

"That hurt Kat. That really did. You should try to play nice." I tell her, my lower lip pushed forwards to make me pout like a baby.

"I am being nice." She says and pushes me off of her, standing up. "Come on. Cinna and your stylist should be here already."

"Are we going to have our interviews in the Training Centre?" I ask her, following her to the living room.

"Probably, the reaping's tomorrow. Today's our last day here in this apartment. It doesn't feel like it's been a month and a half." She says shrugging. _I don't really mind staying in the Capitol in this apartment that much now. It's now a home. Our home. _The doorbell rings and I find and my stylist and prep team along with Cinna and Katniss' prep team. They all get in and nearly tramples me in the process just to see our apartment room and Katniss. I sigh and roll my eyes, closing the door and go back to the living room to see all of them looking around and Cinna hugging Katniss. _It's good that Cinna's here. He's been so much help. We also got to know each other and bonded over our common interest, that being Katniss and our experience in the Capitol. _

"It's nice to see you Finnick." Cinna says, bringing me out of my thoughts. I smile politely and shake his hand and he excuses himself to Katniss' room with Katniss and her prep team. My prep team and stylist take me to the guest bedroom, _well my room, but I chose to sleep with Katniss rather than sleep alone with her in the room next to me. _My prep team fuss over me after I shower and wax my legs, arm and chest, leaving my skin pink like a baby's butt. My stylist puts me in a black tuxedo, looking elegant and handsome, _as always, _and style my hair in its usual hairstyle. Katniss is already outside, wearing a tight striking red dress that enhances her curves, and her hair is let down, curled into soft dark brown waves, giving her the sexy-edgy look. Her grey eyes look brighter because of the smokey-eye look Cinna has given her, her supple cheek rosy pink as always and her luscious lips are bright red just like her red dress. _Is Cinna trying to break the image of her innocence? _I give Katniss a chaste kiss, the spark from it lingering on my lips as we part. The limo is waiting downstairs so we say goodbye to our stylists and prep teams and head to the Training Centre. The car ride is silent, I'm just slumping down my seat, my feet crossed and my arms laced behind my neck. I glance at Katniss who looks uneasy and nervous.

"Are you nervous?" I ask Katniss, who seems to be in a fidgety mood. She smiles sheepishly and nods at me. "Don't be. Remember I'll be here with you the whole time. And hey, they don't care what we say as long as we look hot. So try to do that okay?" I tell her teasingly, patting her shoulder which causes her to snort and roll her eyes at me.

"Sure." She says sarcastically and shakes her head in amusement, smiling at me. We finally get to the Training Centre and find it already filled with hundreds of people. The press, game makers, visitors and sponsors are here for our interview. We get out of the limo, our fingers intertwined with each others and head into the Training Centre, the press taking pictures of us and throwing questions at us. Eventually a peacekeeper comes and leads us into the auditorium where the interviews are being held. Katniss and I get backstage and wait for the audience to settle down and for Caesar to welcome us. I wink at Katniss and give her a quick passionate kiss.

"I love you Katniss Everdeen." I tell her, her eyes shining with the love that probably reflects the love in my eyes.

"I love you too Fishboy." She says with a smug smirk on her face.

"Let's bring it up for Finnick Odair and Katniss Everdeen!" Caesar voice boom's out. Katniss and I walk onstage, our hands still joined together and sit on the couch parallel to Caesar's. "Well, it's certainly nice to see you both here this evening. I notice there has been some major changes in your lives, am I correct? Would you like to share?" Caesar asks us, I glance at Katniss then smile, immediately knowing what to answer.

"Well, I don't know about Katniss, but all I can say is that I found my missing puzzle piece. She completes me, and evidently she's the only person who can tame and excuse my constant flirting and teasing with other women." I tell him jokingly, only to receive a glare from Katniss. _I'm kidding Katniss, I still have to keep up with my Capitol image. _This makes the crowd go wild, some women scream my name and throw their hands in the air. Caesar laughs a hearty laugh then continues to speak.

"And Katniss, does this mean you have moved on from Peeta?" He asks Katniss, who seemed kinda uncertain, not knowing what to say. I smile encouragingly at her and squeeze her hand reassuringly.

"Partly, yes. Some part of my heart will always belong to Peeta, I'm sure Finnick and everyone knows that. He was my first love. But Finnick has always been there for me, and I think I'm ready to move on. With him." She says, smiling softly at me which causes me to grin and kiss her cheek. The crowd goes wild, cheering for my act of love on screen.

"Of course. And all our hearts go out to you. And I mean this when I say that I along with the rest of Panem will always remember Peeta and the tragic love story from the District 12 lovebirds." He says, patting Katniss' other hand which is placed on her lap. Katniss smiles gratefully when the crowd weeps and shout Peeta' name.

"Now onto the games, what do you expect from this year's games and your tributes?"

"Well, I think the 72nd Hunger Games will be even bigger and better than last years, they'll probably make the arena a bit more interesting but not too dangerous to the games wont end too quickly." I tell him and Katniss nods in agreement with me. "I'm hoping for promising tributes this year. I expect someone who's a decent swimmer and I also wouldn't mind if they have been trained to be Careers." I tell him, not actually wanting to sound like I'm promoting the games but I guess I have to keep up with my act. Caesar nods then looks over to Katniss expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"I don't expect much from my tributes, but I hope we will get tributes that actually have a fighting chance. Regardless, I hope I will be able to bring my tribute home. I don't need another kid from District 12 dying." She says. _This is why she's so loved by so many people. _I think to myself. _This is why she is our mockingjay._

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**AN: So I used a reviewer's idea, Melanie, for the first part of this chapter so cheers Melanie, thanks for the idea! Anyways, I keep writing in Finnick's POV, do you guys like it or do you want Katniss' POV? I feel like I've only been showing his perspective of the relationship, so yeah I'm still thinking about that. I'm sorry if it's crap, because I'm really tired after my volleyball tryouts and yes, I know it's not a good excuse but yeah I'm sorry if it's crap. I haven't been writing because I had volley practice, and yes I got in the team as the main spiker! Oh and happy Valentine's day to everyone! I've got 6 roses and some chocolate so yeah, that was pretty cool! And again, apologies for not updating for like 2 days, I promise to update tomorrow. So, like it? Hate it? What do you want to happen? Any inputs or ideas? Tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. And if I like your idea, maybe I'll use it just like what I did in this chapter. REVIEW = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Thank you for your reviews! They make me more motivated and I just love hearing from you guys! I love them so so so much! Anyway, I'm sorry for just updating today and missing two days for updates because I've been busy with my volleyball tryouts and valentines day, which was just so great for me this year. So anyway, my apologies, I promise to update again tomorrow and I'll try to make the chapters longer and much more interesting. And as some of you requested, this chapter is in Katniss' POV. Sorry if it's OOC or if this chapter is boring, but like you'll have some of the exciting chapters and some boring, cause it has to be balanced. So anyways, review more please! I'm loving all the reviews. REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW! REVIEW PLEASE!**

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"Well, I don't know about Katniss, but all I can say is that I found my missing puzzle piece. She completes me, and evidently she's the only person who can tame and excuse my constant flirting and teasing with other women." Finnick says jokingly, only to receive a glare from me. _Seriously Finnick, after all you've said you still want to act like a self-centred, obnoxious jerk?_ This makes the crowd go wild, some women scream Finnick's name and throw their hands in the air, causing Finnick to smirk cockily and wink at me. _It's for his Capitol image Katniss. He doesn't want you to suffer like you did with James._ I shudder, remembering my confrontation with James, causing Finnick to raise his eyebrow, questioning me. I shake dismissively and hear Caesar laugh a hearty laugh then continue to speak.

"And Katniss, does this mean you have moved on from Peeta?" He asks me. _Shit, what do I say? Remember Katniss, play the Capitol lovebirds act. I might not have to lie at all now, I did care a lot about Peeta, maybe even loved him for some time. Not quite sure if it was as a lover type of love or not, but I did love him. _I try to think of what to say, wracking my head for ideas and sentences that will please Snow. Finnick squeezes my hand reassuringly and smiles encouragingly at me, nodding at me to answer Caesar. _Here goes nothing._

"Partly, yes. Some part of my heart will always belong to Peeta, I'm sure Finnick and everyone knows that. He was my first love. But Finnick has always been there for me, and I think I'm ready to move on. With him." I tell Caesar, smiling softly at Finnick. _That should be enough to please Snow and keep my family alive for now. And it's true. A part of my heart will always belong to Peeta, but Finnick makes me feel. He will always be the obnoxious, flirty jerk he is, but that just him teasing me. And I do love him._ Finnick grins at me and pecks my cheek, causing me to blush. _Why am I always blushing with him? And what the hell is he thinking? Snow will kill him! Not to mention Killian, his parents and maybe even my family! Or maybe he'll root for us, I hope so at least, we do please the Capitol citizens._ As if on cue, the crowd goes wild, cheering for Finnick's public act of love for me, causing Finnick to wink and smirk seductively at me.

"Of course. And all our hearts go out to you. And I mean this when I say that I along with the rest of Panem will always remember Peeta and the tragic love story from the District 12 lovebirds." He says, patting my free hand which is placed on my lap. _They did this. You did this, well not Caesar in particular, but the Capitol. They killed Peeta. And they say that they'll miss him? And that they're sorry. Their delusive and sadistic! They don't even know what they have done! Calm down Katniss, you have to act cool for Prim._ I force a grateful smile to Caesar and the crowd when the crowd weeps and shout Peeta' name. _I know my smile looks fake, but probably only Finnick will notice that, the others are oblivious. Or maybe they just don't understand human emotions. They are from the Capitol. _

"Now onto the games, what do you expect from this year's games and your tributes?" Caesar asks us, _What do I expect from this year's game and tributes? It's not like I stay up at night, dreaming and anticipating for the games and my tributes, WHO WILL JUST HAVE TO DIE LATER ON! Unlike the Capitol citizens, some of us actually have moral and a brain. And in addition to that, we also loathe the games and we never look forward to it. Maybe aside from District 1 and 2. But I'm pretty sure some of the people there also don't support the Games. _Finnick's voice brings me out of my thoughts, and I bring back my focus to Finnick and Caesar.

"Well, I think the 72nd Hunger Games will be even bigger and better than last years, they'll probably make the arena a bit more interesting but not too dangerous to the games wont end too quickly." Finnick says, and I nod in agreement. _Bigger, yes. Not better. Never better. _. "I'm hoping for promising tributes this year. I expect someone who's a decent swimmer and I also wouldn't mind if they have been trained to be Careers." Finnick says, almost as if he was promoting the Games. _Why is he saying this? Oh right, his Capitol image. Nevertheless, I don't like him saying that. He could have just said the first part, and not bring up the Career thing. He knows Careers are the most promising tribute, but that doesn't mean others don't win. Hell, I won, probably because of Peeta. But I did and I was from one of the outlying districts, District 12. The district with only 2 victors, well now 3. _Caesar nods then looks over to me expectantly, waiting for me to answer him. _If he thinks I'm going to say something similar to Finnick's, well he's going to be disappointed. Screw Snow. I will never promote the Games. _

"I don't expect much from my tributes, but I hope we will get tributes that actually have a fighting chance. Regardless, I hope I will be able to bring my tribute home. I don't need another kid from District 12 dying." I tell him honestly and bluntly. _It's the complete truth. I'm not going to act for the Capitol for this. This is personal. I don't need another kid from District 12, or any of the districts, dying because of these twisted, sadistic games. Screw Snow. I just need to remember not to say anything to defy the Capitol. I need to be careful about that, for Prim, Gale and mother. _

"Of course. I'm assuming you both haven't watched the reaping recaps, which haven't aired due to some technical problems, but I assure you both you'll be able to watch them tomorrow morning before the tributes arrive. And we all learned our lesson to not underestimate other tributes from outlying districts. You completely shocked us with your skill and talents shown in your games. That was one of my favourite games, am I right folks?" Caesar says to the crowd, laughing his distinct laugh, causing the crowd to cheer in agreement. _Skill and talent? For what? Killing children? Yes, maybe I am skilled in archery but only for hunting. Hunting animals. I will never be proud to have survived my games, because by saying that, I am saying that I have killed children in the process in order to win. And that's something I would not like to be remembered for. And really? Favourite games? They're all the same, we end up with 1 victor and 23 children dead. And it's for that very reason I hate all the games, and try to avoid watching it even though it is mandatory viewing. _

"Well Caesar, we all know Katniss. Unpredictable and full of surprises." Finnick purrs, winking at me and giving me a smug smirk. The crowd erupts in screams and cheer, loving the scene in front of them, Finnick making it sound like he's hinting something."

"Well Katniss' victory was predictable when it was down to the final four but it was surprising when she managed to score an 11. But Finnick, I sense you're not talking about the games anymore? Was that some kind of innuendo?" Caesar asks curiously, furrowing his eyebrows slightly and leaning forwards, anticipating Finnick's answer.

"Well she's dating me now isn't she? That's surprising and very unpredictable of her." Finnick says, placing a loving smile on his face, turning to me, his eyes shining and full of love. I take a minute to comprehend what he had just said. _Oh God! He just told the Capitol about our relationship! I mean that it's official and everything. Shit Finnick. What will happen to Prim now? She surely wont be punished just because of this right? _This brings the crowd into hysterics, they scream our names and flail their arms in the air and begin to grow in uproar. Caesar looks at us with wide eyes then smiles knowingly. He looks at the audience and tries to settle them down, the crowd becoming wild and louder by the second. When Caesar finally regains control and the audience is quiet, we resume the interview.

"So, it is true then? That you both are in an official relationship? Dating as Finnick had said?" Caesar asks me, _How are Prim and Gale responding to this? Prim would be ecstatic but Gale? Not so much. This is my chance to undo the mistake Finnick stupidly did. _

"I wouldn't call it official yet. I still have some considerations to think of and Finnick still has some working to do. So dating? No, but he wishes though." I tell Caesar, scoffing and crossing my arms, taking my hand from Finnick. _I'm sorry Finnick. Don't assume things first, I'm doing this for Prim. I have to keep her safe. My life is dedicated to her and to keep her safe and happy. _Finnick frowns and raises an eyebrow in question, I smile softly at him, apologising for my act. He nods in understanding and pretends to laugh freely, grinning at Caesar.

"Rejection? Unrequited love? Something Finnick surely hasn't dealt with! Ah but alas, with regret, I have to bid you goodbye. I will see you soon. Give it up for the Girl on Fire and Finnick Odair!" Caesar announces, gesturing to us and smiling, showing his pearly white teeth.

"Unrequited love? For The Finnick Odair? Oh I don't think so Caesar. it's just delayed! She'll want me eventually. I know she will." Finnick says daringly, smirking mischievously at me, before we are completely hidden from the audience. When we are completely backstage and hidden, Finnick runs and hugs me, wrapping me tightly in his strong tan arms. He kisses my hair and tilts my chin up, inspecting my face. _What is he doing?_ "I didn't think I could have let your hand go that long and not touch you." He says, acting like the drama-queen he is. _So dramatic. _He plants a quick but passionate kiss on my lips and pulls away, still wrapping me in his arms and staring into my grey orbs.

"Talk about exaggerating." I tell him, rolling my eyes and pulling back. I don't want to be so intimate with Finnick in public, especially now when there are cameras all over the place that can spy on us and report it to the public.

"But Kat," he whines, pouting then shuffling closer to me. "I really can't stay away from you. Especially with you being in the same room with me." He says, hugging me again. "I don't know what happening but it's because of you." He says threateningly, pointing a finger at me accusingly. I raise my eyebrows, _what the hell is he talking about? _"It's cause I have never loved someone as much as I love you. You're making me act the way I am." He suavely. I sigh and chuckle then kiss his lips softly, _I've got to give it to him, he's smooth._

"People will think I'm crazy for saying this, but I love you too Fishboy." I tease him sarcastically, making him roll his eyes but still kiss my forehead. "Yeah, yeah now come on. Let's go to my room." I tell him, pulling away from the embrace and tug on his hand. He sighs then follows me to the elevator, punching the number 12. "I have been here too much." I say sighing then leaning onto the cold metal elevator wall.

"You've been here too much? Imagine me? I won the 65th Hunger Games? I've been here 7 times Kat. You've only been here 3 times." He tells me, rolling his eyes.

"3 times to many." I mutter wittily, exiting the elevator then going to my room with Finnick trailing close behind. I jump on my bed and lay there, exhausted from the day. Finnick chuckles then joins me, bringing me closer to him by pulling my waist towards his.

"As much as I hate being in the Capitol, and all these extra appointments. I would rather be here than be at home in District 12, if it means seeing you everyday. Waking up with you beside me is also not bad. Can't imagine how happy you must be waking up next to me." He says jokingly, I scoff and hit his chest, rolling my eyes at how obnoxious and narcissistic he sounds. "Jeez Kat, watch it! My body is a work of art. Don't ruin it!" He says, rubbing the spot I hit. I roll my eyes, _always obnoxious huh Finnick? _

"Work of art? Ha yeah right! Maybe to the Capitol women but you won't hear me saying anything like that anytime soon." I tell him, patting his head and giving him a teasing smile.

"Oh really? I don't see you complaining about me being shirtless when we sleep!" He retorts back, making me blush immediately. _He does have a point there. _I just scoff and go to the bathroom to change into a yellow shirt and some pants. "Oh Katniss!" Finnick calls out in a sing-song voice. _What now?_ I roll my eyes and get out to see what he wants. I hum a reply and see him on the bed shirtless and just with boxers, laying down and posing ridiculously. _What does he think he's doing?_ "Like what you see?" He purrs, smirking at me.

"What the hell are you doing Odair?" I say, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. He grins childishly and pulls me onto the bed with him, him hovering onto of me balancing himself onto of me using his elbows. "You're an idiot." I mutter quietly, brushing the strands of hair on my face away.

"True. But I'm your idiot." He grins at me, kissing me lightly. _Real smooth Odair._

"That you are." I say, smiling lightly and shaking my head in amusement. "We better get some sleep. Who knows what time the tributes will arrive tomorrow and I want to watch the recaps before they come." I tell him, yawning. He smiles and lays down beside me, pulling me close to his chest then drifts off into sleep. _Guess he's really tired. _I shake away the thought as my eyelids grow heavy and I find myself drifting off into peaceful slumber.

**"You never wanted me to live did you?" Hunter shouts out to me, driving his knife in my thigh. ****_No! I tried to keep you alive!_**** I scream out in agony and shout for Peeta and Haymitch.**

**"HAYMITCH! HELP! PEETA!" **

**"Oh don't you remember Katniss? Peeta's dead! Because of you! And Haymitch? Well you abandoned him in District 12 now didn't you? To go play together with Mr. Sex Symbol of Panem in the Capitol! How nice of you!" He says sarcastically, spinning his knife in his hand. ****_I didn't have a choice. Finnick! He's still here!_**

**"FINNICK! HELP ME!" I shout out but Hunter's hand clasps on my mouth, making my shouts muffled.**

**"Nobody's going to help you Katniss. In fact, everyone hates you! Abby!" He calls out and I see Abby emerge from behind the trees. ****_What is she doing here? _****"You see, I told Abby about our little conversation before the games. And well she now understands why I was so pissed at you." He sneers at me, driving his other dagger onto my stomach. **

**"No! I didn't mean what I said! It just shocked me when you said that you didn't have a girlfriend! And when you kissed me? That was inappropriate! Especially because you were my tribute!" I tell him, trying to reason with him but alas it fails. ****_God! What was I supposed to do? Kiss him back? Tell him I would wait for him? I'm not his toy? He doesn't have the right to be mad at me just because of that!_**

**"You broke my heart, Girl on Fire. And now you did it again. You are one heartless bitch aren't you? Hurting everyone around you. Maybe I should do everyone a favour and kill you right now. I think I will. Abby, my sword!" I see Abby hand him his sword that he used in his games and he twirls it in his hands, making me struggle even more against his body. "Now, now Katniss. This will be long and painful. So don't even think of struggling." He says maniacally before slowly sliding his sword into my arm. ****_Fight back Katniss! For Prim! _**

**"Katniss you're alive! You're okay!" I hear someone say, ****_maybe I'm almost dead and I'm hallucinating._**** "Katniss! Snap out of it! You're alive!" ****_I'm probably already dead. _****"KAT! You're alive!" ****_Kat? Finnick? Is that you?_**

"Katniss!" I hear Finnick shout, shaking my shoulders in attempt to wake me up. I sigh and my eyes dart around the room, looking for Hunter and Abby but finding only Finnick, straddling my waist. _It's a dream. I'm alive._ "Thank god you're already awake. God Kat, you almost gave me a heart attack." He says sighing, and dropping back onto the bed beside me. I roll my eyes and wipe a strand of hair from my forehead and find my face sweaty. Finnick looks over to me and I notice a bruise on his arm.

"What happened?" I ask him, pulling his arm towards me so I can inspect it. He shrugs then pulls his arm away from me.

"It's nothing. Don't worry." He shrugs nonchalantly, but I know he's hiding something from me. _What's he hiding? _

"Finnick." I say sternly, my eyes piercing into his.

"You were thrashing out in your sleep and when I tried to calm you down, well you punched my arm." He tells me, scratching the back of his head. _I did that to him? _

"What! Finnick I'm so sorry." I tell him, quickly rubbing his bruise, hoping that it would go away.

"It's nothing Kat, don't fuss over it."

"It's nothing? Finnick! I hurt you." I tell him exasperated.

"You have done everything but hurt me Katniss! You fixed me, you helped me find happiness and love back in my life. One bruise is nothing compared to all of that." He tells me pleadingly, cupping my face in his hands. He brushes his thumb against my cheek and pecks my nose lightly, causing me to giggle. "Don't worry about the bruise. I'll just blame one of my clients." He says, shrugging. I nod and get out of bed, stretching out my limbs and pull him out of bed afterwards. "Let's go get some breakfast." he tells me, intertwining our fingers and pulls me from the bedroom, still shirtless and only in his boxers. _Typical Finnick. So proud and comfortable of his body. _We walk out of my room and go to the living room to see Haymitch with Effie, arms crossed in front of his chest and tapping his foot glaring at us. _Oh shit, when did he arrive here?_

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**AN: Chapter with Katniss' POV and a cliffhanger! Happy valentine's day! Hope you had a grand day and please stop by and review if you have the time to! Sorry for not reviewing for 2 days, I was busy with volleyball tryouts and valentine's, but I promise to update daily again now. So, like it? Hate it? Please tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: I'm loving the reviews! Thank you so much to the people who reviewed, favourited and follow this fanfic. Please review and don't hesitate to also give me suggestions on what you want the story to be like in the upcoming chapters! I'm have a picture of what's going to be like but I also want to see what you guys want. So, please tell me your ideas and what you liked or don't like about this chapter. Review! Review! Review! REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW!**

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Katniss' POV

"What the hell is going on Sweetheart! You suddenly leave District 12 without telling me, you move to the Capitol, and now you're sleeping with Fishboy! What the hell is wrong with you?" Haymitch shouts, causing me and Finnick to jump a little. _Why is he so mad? It's not like he's the one who was forced to move to the Captitol! And I'm not sleeping with Finnick but even if I was, it's none of his business._

"Now, now Haymitch! We should not discuss any of Katniss and Finnick's intimate doings in bed. It's much too personal for my taste. And you should have known where she was from the interviews and Agustus and Frank's TV show, oh they commented on the dresses and I agree with them Katniss! They absolutely look divine and your makeup just glimm-" Effie chirps happily, her pink wig bobbing on her head.

"Trinket. Just get out of this room before I make you. I'm sure you have to check on the tributes progress so we won't be late." Haymitch growls, glaring at Effie which silences her. She looks at me and Finnick apologising and goes out of the room muttering about how rude Haymitch is. When I'm sure Effie is completely gone, _I don't want her to know it's all an act. Effie could tell everyone and Prim and Gale would get hurt,_ I speak up.

"I had to leave because Snow threatened to kill my family if I didn't move to the Capitol, he told me to keep it a secret from you or any of the other victors. And what I do with Finnick is none of your business, I will not be treated like a child!" I shout, glaring furiously. _Who does he think he is? Just because he saved me from the Hunger Games, that does not mean he's entitled to personal information about everything that's going on with my life. _

"Oh you didn't tell me but you told Fishboy and Gloss! I was worried sick Katniss!" He shouts, rubbing his forehead together. _Katniss? That's unusual of Haymitch to call me that. Must mean he's pretty pissed off. _"I asked every fucking person I could find in District 12, and I even asked Gale and Prim at one point. But they didn't say a word, it's like they took a vow of silence for you."

"Well, I'm sorry for causing you all that trouble. But you should have known that I was alright, I'm practically everywhere on the Capitol magazines and on TV. Maybe if you took your head out of your ass and stopped drinking, you would have noticed!" I shout, fuming at him. Finnick looks at me knowingly, deciding to leave me be and let me have my intense conversation with Haymitch without him bothering.

"If you haven't already noticed Sweetheart, I am sober! I've been so drunk for the past few weeks that I've emptied Ripper's stash because of how messed up I was with looking for you. I knew you were in the Capitol, but I knew something wasn't right. Your eyes looked dead and your smile, well it's not the one I've seen when you're with Prim and your cousin, Gale. Don't you remember Sweetheart? We're like the same person, you can't fool me. It's like we're telepathic, like it or not. And for your information, I was worried that you weren't okay, or that you were forced into prostitution like Fishboy here." He says, glaring at Finnick. _I was almost, well raped that is._ "I'm not drunk enough for this." He mutters, massaging the bridge of his nose. His eyes widen and his head perks up and eyes me and Finnick intensely. "Which reminds me. Are you two sleeping together? So help me Fishboy, if you are.." He trails off, glaring daggers at Finnick. _And back to the over-protective jerk Haymitch is. What the hell does he think he's doing? _

"What I do with Finnick is between me and him! You aren't entitled to any information regarding my love life Haymitch!" I shout, defensively standing in front of Finnick so Haymitch wouldn't jump and hit him.

"Sweetheart," he starts off, sighing and looking at me with pleading eyes. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, Gale has been a mess since he saw you with Gloss. Prim told me so herself, he saw one of the Capitol's TV shows. The one with um Augusto or something? I don't fucking care. Point is, I don't need Finnick ruining your innocence and breaking your heart." He tells me with irritation in his voice.

"Innocence? Haymitch, I killed children! There's nothing innocent about me! And for your information, Finnick has done nothing but help me get through with all the stuff that's been happening! Yes, he may have messed up a few times, like when he kissed my cheek in the interv-" I try to reason but get cut off by Haymitch.

"HE KISSED YOUR CHEEK? ON LIVE TELEVISION? DON'T YOU KNOW SNOW WOULDN'T WANT HIS CAPITOL WHORE TO BE PLAYING AROUND WITH OTHER GIRLS, LET ALONG THE FUCKING GIRL ON FIRE! Oh look at you Fishboy just begging for me to punch you in the face!" He roars, trying to get past me to punch Finnick. I block Haymitch but Haymitch accidentally punches my stomach, making me stumble back onto the ground and clutch my stomach. Finnick rushes to my side and slides up my shirt to see if there's a bruise. When he finds no bruise, I nod at him telling him that I'm fine. He give me a chaste kiss and stands up, fuming and glaring at Haymitch.

"Enough! Haymitch, you know I care about Katniss' safety and I love her more than life itself! And you don't have the right to keep us from each other except if it's what Katniss wants. Katniss needs me and I need her. Unlike you, we can't get drunk to cope with our misery because WE actually want our tributes to survive." He growls, glaring at Haymitch. Haymitch looks bewildered then puffs out his chest and steps closer to Haymitch.

"Don't you dare say that I don't want my tributes to survive. If it wasn't for me, Sweetheart over here wouldn't even be alive. It's thanks to me that she's still alive now. You ought to remember that Fishboy." Haymitch growls, clenching his fists harder. I stand up and hobble over to Haymitch and lay a hand on his shoulder. He sighs then softens up and looks at me with what I think is caring eyes.

"Look Haymitch, I'm sorry but I didn't have a choice. I know you're mad but you shouldn't take it out on Finnick. He's been helping me with so much and I don't get nightmares so often when I'm with him." I tell him, trying to reassure him.

"Fine. But if he hurts you, you're not allowed to prevent me from hurting him and maybe killing him." Haymitch says, _so this is Victor Haymitch. _He sighs then kisses my forehead and starts to walk off to his room. "The tributes should be ready in another hour so you can watch the reaping recaps before Sweetheart." He tells me, then shuts the door to his room. I walk back to Finnick who seems distant now and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I ask him, my eyebrows furrowing in concern. _Why is he so quiet? Was it what Haymitch said? _He nods, looking at me with loving eyes and kisses my forehead. "Do you want to watch the reaping recaps?" I ask him hesitantly, he just nods and goes to the couch, plopping down on one side. _That's odd. Where's the flirty, obnoxious Finnick I've grown to love? Ha no, it actually irritates me but it's funny when I say something witty against it though. _

"Well are you going to sit down with me or do I have to pick you up?" He says cheekily, _oh, he's back. _I walk over and sit beside him but he pulls me onto his lap so that I'm sitting on his lap. "I like this position so much better. If you like, I could show you other positions I would prefer?" He purrs into my ear. I roll my eyes and smack the back of his head to make him shut up. I turn on the TV and lean against his chest, Finnick's chin leaning on my shoulder.

"Blake Edenthaw and Diamond Rankine! The volunteers from District 1!" I see a tall dark-haired boy with muscles and a slim, blonde girl, but there is also muscles in her arms similar to mines, standing on the podium. _Guess we're just on time. _

"Ah volunteers! And what might your name be?" The District 12 escort asks a handsome boy who looks at the age of 18. He's muscular and looks malicious, _what do you expect? He's from District 2. _

"Chris Blackwell." He says, power radiating off him. _I need to warn the tributes about them. _

"Oh, charmed. And you dear?" The escort asks the short girl next to Chris. She looks like Glimmer, green eyes and blonde hair and far too happy.

"Sophie Pyrmont! And can I just say how excited I am for the games!" She giggles into the microphone, making me roll my eyes. _Typical female tributes from Distrct 1 and 2, always so cheery and bubbly, and not to mention deadly. _

"Don't worry Kat, you're so much more beautiful compared to them." Finnick purrs into my ear, making me shudder. He kisses my cheek then trails down to my jaw then onto my neck. I suppress a moan and he sucks and nibbles on the skin of my neck, repeatedly on the same spot, making me finally release a moan of pleasure. _So this is why the Capitol women can't get enough of him. This is his 'Talented Mouth' that I have been hearing about before my games. _I shake my head then push his head away from me, glaring at him disapprovingly. _Shit, I bet he left a mark._

"No Finnick. We have to watch the recaps." I tell him sternly.

"I didn't see you complaining when I was doing that. Maybe you want to remember how good it was?" He says, getting closer to my neck. I push his head away and roll my eyes, _seriously Finnick?_

"Not now Finnick. We need to see our tributes." I reason with him.

"Not now? So we can resume afterwards?" He says cheekily, grinning at me like a child.

"Maybe if you're lucky Odair." I tell him and return my focus onto the screen. I see a beach in the background and some people wearing khaki pants. District 4. _Must have missed District 3. _Finnick leans forward and rests his chin on my shoulder once again and watches the screen with full focus.

"Perseus Allardyce!" The female escort announces and I see a skinny, tall boy walk up to the platform. Finnick frowns and I smile at him reassuringly, _he's from Distrct 4. He'll know what to do, and he's not crying so that's a good sign. _"Any volunteers?" The escorts ask but no one does, "Well then, now the girls!" She says and walk up to the bowl containing the girls' names She plunges her hand into the bowl and picks up a slip and opens it. "Melanie Dugald!" The escort chirps into the microphone. I see a tall tan girl with blonde hair walk up on stage, she's wearing a thigh dress which enhances her already big boobs. Finnick's eyes pop out and his mouth is slightly agape, I feel a pang of jealousy shoot up my spine and my jaw tenses. _Why am I so jealous? I mean he sleeps with Capitol women all the time and this one girl makes me jealous? It's because he was forced to fuck those women and he's staring at her boobs voluntarily. Playboy Odair indeed._

"She won't have problems getting sponsors." I tell him, irritation clear in my voice.

"Yeah. Lucky me." He says flatly, his eyes still glued to the screen. _Lucky you, Odair._ I slide off his lap and sit at the other edge of the couch, getting a note pad and a pen and scribble down the names of the previous tributes, _good excuse to get away from him. _He frown and glances at me, then sits closer to me. "Katniss Everdeen, are you jealous?" He says teasingly, poking my cheeks. _Maybe. But I won't give him the satisfaction of knowing that. That'll just inflate his ego even more. _

"In your dreams Odair. You should be more concerned on your little female tribute over there. She might just sneak up to your room and sleep beside you like a creep if you don't be careful. You know those typical lovesick girls and how idiotic they are to 'fall in love' with your looks." I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes and shuffling further away from him.

"Oh so it's idiotic for them to fall in love with my looks now, is it? Well then you're basically calling yourself an idiot. You are in love with me. And I'm not worries because I know that won't happen because I'll be in your room, cuddling with you Kat, because I know you love that." He says cockily, smirking at me. _He's seriously starting to irritate me._

"Don't be so sure Odair." I tell him sternly, glaring at him.

"Aw, come on Kat lighten up! You know I love you and I know you love me too. Stop being such a sourpuss." He says jokingly, pulling me onto his lap, my legs around his waist and my face in front of his. "You're so much more beautiful and sexy than Melanie, and I love you so much. I'm just glad she's pretty and desirable, that'll help with her survival. Kat. You know you're the only one for me. You're my missing puzzle piece. You're Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire. No one can compare to you. And you know what's the best thing about you?" He purrs into my ear, nibbling on my earlobe. _Best thing about me? That I don't fall for Haymitch's bullshit? I'm immune to Finnick's looks? I'm not so sure what he's talking about. _I hum an answer and shake my head, pulling back and looking him in the eyes. "You're mine." He whispers as he devours my lips, sending tingles down my spine. His lips are like fire, awakening the huntress and Victor inside of me, wanting to jump into action because of my desire for him.

"No! NO!" I hear a girl scream and I jump from Finnick's lap and find that it's coming from the TV. It's someone from District 11. _What the hell?_ "NO! CARLA!" I see the female tribute wracked in sobs and mouthing a goodbye to the girl screaming. _What the hell is going on? _The girl looks about Prim's age and is dark-skinned just like Rue. The TV flickers to District 12 and my body tenses, anxious. Effie does her usual speech and the video from the Capitol is played as usual, she then walks to the female bowl and spins her hand around the bowl, searching for the right slip. She finally picks a slip and opens it, walking back to the microphone.

"Alice Keene!" Effie chirps, clasping her hands together when she sees the blonde girl, Alice I presume walk up to stage. She looks weak, shaking but not skinny. Probably not from the Seam. _She'll need a lot of work. _"Now for the boys!" Effie says, walking to the male bowl and picking a slip on top of the pile then walking back and dramatically opening the slip slowly. "Todd Reeves! My, your names are similar!" She says onto the microphone, her cheery, squeaky voice booming from the speakers. A handsome dark-haired boy comes on stage, his muscles visible, almost bigger than Gales, his eyebrows furrowed in anger and his back straight. _He has a chance of winning. _I sigh in relaxation and sit back down, happy that at least one of my tributes will have the chance of coming back.

"He'll have no problem getting sponsors." Finnick speaks up beside me, repeating what I said about Melanie, _I almost forgot he was even there. _

"Lucky me, I guess." I say, repeating his answer.

"Lucky you Kat." He trails off, disappointment in his voice. _Wait, is he jealous? Well he's usually jealous. No, he's just protective over me. _

"Don't tell me now you're the one who's jealous." I say, turning to face him. He sighs then looks at me and smiles a little.

"A little. Just know that I love you okay?" He says, kissing my forehead lightly, staring into my grey orbs.

"I love you too Fishboy." I say, teasing him with the nickname Haymitch gave him. He grins and kisses me passionately on the lips.

"Never mind, why should I be jealous? I've got you here with me saying that you love me. He's not that hot anyway, not as hot as me obviously." He says dramatically, putting my hand over his unclad abs. _I just realised that he's been only in his boxers this whole time. Thank god Effie didn't walk in on us kissing. She might get the wrong ideas. _

"If you two are done, you both can get ready so we can see the tributes now." Haymitch says, tapping his foot impatiently near the counter. I sigh and get up, pulling Finnick with me to my room only to be stopped by Haymitch. "Don't get any ideas Fishboy. Cinna and your stylist are already inside that room." He warns Finnick, pointing a finger at him. I roll my eyes and walk in, bombarded by my prep team. They shoo me off to the showers and I wash myself quickly, so that Finnick can get washed too. Cinna puts me in a black dress that hugs my curves with some black heels and I get the smokey-eye look with my hair let down in curls. I see Finnick in a black button-up and some black pants beside me, and we get outside and find Haymitch still beside the counter. He looks at us suspiciously and we get to the elevator, punching the floor number. The elevator ride is silent, Haymitch glancing at me or Finnick and Finnick trying to avoid Haymith's gaze and glancing at me occasionally. When we finally get out of the elevator, I sigh in relief and walk quickly to the mentor's area and sit next to Blight, not wanting to deal with Haymitch and Finnick. I say hello to Blight and nod at Johanna and am quickly joined by Finnick, who sits beside me and eyes me and Blight warily. The lights dim and President Snow goes out on the balcony and recites his speech like he does in the beginning of every Hunger Games. The first chariot emerges, blake and diamond in beautiful, shiny clothing. _District 1. Luxury. Huh, figures. _They get a loud cheer from the audience, some throwing roses at them. The District 2 chariot then follows, the tributes in gold outfits similar to Cato and Clove's from my games. _Masonry. _The District 3 tributes look ridiculous in their outfit, trying to look like power lines and that's when I see Perseus and Melanie. They're both in blue outfits which resemble the sea, Melanie in a skintight dress that is very revealing and shows off her boobs. I'm pretty sure everyone is practically staring at her boobs at this point, I know Finnick is, so are the other male mentors. I roll my eyes and look at Blight who seemed to not care, he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Are you okay?" He whispers to me.

"I'm fine. Just sick of what the Capitol is doing to Melanie." I tell him, shrugging.

"I know the feeling. And what makes it worse is that everyone's practically staring at her boobs right now." He says, chuckling a bit. I laugh which causes Johanna, Haymitch and Finnick to look at us. We shake our heads and they just shrug but Finnick continues to glance at me and Blight. The rest of the tributes aren't that memorable and I zone out for most of the ceremony. "Katniss. Look." Blight says, making me get back into reality. I see the District 12 chariot and they're creating smoke, only small flickers on the hem of their outfit and ash trailing their chariot. I look at Alice who seems unfitting for the outfit, her soft blue eyes making her image come off as soft and innocent not deadly and unforgettable. I change my gaze and find Todd, handsome just like in his reapings, who is already looking at me, smirking then going back to glare at the Capitol citizens. _Did he just smirk? At me? _I find myself staring at him for the rest of the ceremony with my mouth firmly shut, trying to figure out what the hell he meant by doing that.

"Kat. Come on. Let's go. We need to get to the tributes." Finnick says, shaking my shoulders to get me focused. _Well then, time to meet that bastard._

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**AN:AN: Like it? Hate it? Please tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. And don't hesitate to suggest ideas and to tell me what you want in the upcoming chapters. Trust me, I take all your reviews into consideration and if I don't use it straight away in the next chapter then I might be saving it for another chapter. So anyways, bottom line is PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews = Love and another chapter tomorrow! **


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: I'm loving the reviews! Thank you so much to the people who reviewed, favourited and follow this fanfic. Please review and don't hesitate to also give me suggestions on what you want the story to be like in the upcoming chapters! Review! Review! Review! REVIEWS = LOVE AND ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW**

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Finnick's POV

Katniss looks deep in thought as we walk towards her tributes chariot, she was so determined to get there and see her tributes that I didn't say anything and just followed her. Todd stood next to Alice, his tall figure towering her, although I'm still taller than him by inches.

"Congratulations, you both look great." Katniss says, congratulating them as we walk to them.

Todd and Alice's head snap up to our direction when they hear Katniss and our footsteps getting louder. Alice thanks her shyly and Todd just has an amused grin plastered onto his face.

"So this is the Girl on Fire? Charmed." He says, taking Katniss' hand and giving it a peck. Katniss looks disturbed and pulls her hand away, and I glare at him. _What does he think he's doing?_ "Just so you know, I was Hunter's best friend, and seeing that he didn't win with you as his mentor. I don't need any help from you. You can stay and watch just don't interfere. I'm strong and handsome, maybe I can win the games by fooling the careers." He says cockily, folding his arms in front of his chest. _He's definitely a career. Might fool them just like Peeta did. _

"Oh good luck with that. Who do you think is in charge of gifts and sponsors? Oh that's right the mentors! And you do that by getting people to like you, including your mentors. Remember Hunter? Yeah, I gave him water so that he lived a couple days longer. So be fucking polite and don't be obnoxious like Gloss, or I might just leave you to die. Oh and if you don't need me that much, then why don't you have Haymitch as your mentor? Maybe he'll help you, but oh that's right! He's never sober. Good luck with your games. You're gonna need it." Katniss retorts, fuming. _Katniss sure doesn't like him. And to think that I was jealous of him. Oh the irony. _She grabs my hand and pulls me away, muttering about an arrogant jerk. I chuckle and shake my hand, walking to the District 4 chariot. Melanie is talking about something and Perseus just nods and looks bored. I feel Katniss roll her eyes from beside me and I tug on her hand to make her walk faster.

"Finnick! It's so nice of you to finally join us! Oh, and you brought Katniss with you? Oh, its a pleasure meeting you dear. It's so nice to finally meet the girl who stole Finnick Odair's heart!" Lucinda chirps, pulling Katniss into a hug. _The girl who stole Finnick Odair's heart huh? The Capitol and their stupid titles. _She looks at me weirdly but just shrugs it off, knowing that this is the typical Capitol behaviour when meeting someone new. "Finnick, these are your tributes. Perseus and Mel-" I cut her off, bored with her speech. _Does she ever stop talking? _

"Melanie. Yes, I've heard. You certainly made an entrance." I purr seductively, walking around Melanie, inspecting her. _Yeah, she'll get a lot of sponsors. From people who want to fuck her later. It's sad to know what she'll have to do when she wins, but that's the cost if she wants to survive._

"Thanks. It's and honour to be meeting you and Ms. Everdeen. You two look really cute as a couple." She says, smiling at Katniss, who surprisingly smiles back at her. _That's unexpected. I thought she was going to be like me. Flirtatious and narcissistic, using our looks for our own advantage. Katniss certainly didn't have to do that, I mean yes she's the most beautiful person I've ever met, and the most beautiful victor, as Gloss had said before. But she didn't need to flirt or be arrogant, just her presence is overwhelming, and you just want to be acknowledged and to be given her attention. Or maybe that's just me? I'm not sure._ "But, if she wasn't your date, I would be happy to take her place." She whispers into my ear, quiet enough so that only I can hear it, pulling me out of my thoughts. _Yup, there it is._

"It's Katniss." Katniss says shortly, glancing at me with worry. "Where's Mags? I haven't seen her anywhere." _I love how she's worried about Mags._

"Mags' sleeping on our floor." Perseus mumbles, looking shyly at Katniss, causing me to chuckle. "Oh, Finnick she told me to remind you that you have a meeting at 7 at the hotel across the street. I'm not so sure with who or why but she told me to tell you that." _Oh shit. I almost forgot. Another appointment with Mrs. Sivvone. Oh, how I just love having appointments with married people. Note the sarcasm. _

"Shit, I almost forgot. I have to go now." I sigh and rub my temple, looking over at Katniss who seems displeased after hearing the news from Perseus. "I'll see you later in the mentor's lounge or in your room." I tell her, kissing her forehead, making her blush beet red. Perseus chuckles and Melanie squeals in excitement. _This girl sure is bipolar, one minute she's hitting on me and the next she's squealing because I kissed Katniss' forehead. _Katniss rolls her eyes and nods, shooing me off, telling me not to be late and reminding me of the consequences. My eyes widen and I nod, running outside of the Training Centre and heading to the hotel. _This ought to be a fun night, _I think sarcastically, filled with dread.

Katniss' POV

"Shit, I almost forgot. I have to go now." Finnick sighs and rubs his temple, looking over at me._ He still has appointments? Isn't he getting a break like last time?_ "I'll see you later in the mentor's lounge or in your room."He tells me, kissing my forehead, making me blush beet red. _Why do I always blush because of him? It's just Finnick. Yeah right Katniss. He's 'Just Finnick', the guy that moved all the way to the Capitol to be with you and managed to break down your walls and make you feel again. Shit, maybe I do really love him._ Perseus chuckles and Melanie squeals in excitement. _She's going to be in the Hunger Games in a week and here she is squealing because Finnick kissed my cheek. She sure needs to act more strong and independent to win. _I roll my eyes and nod, shooing Finnick off, telling him not to be late and reminding him of the consequences. _I do not want to be meet James again. If only there was someway I could alleviate his suffering. _I sigh and seeFinnick's eyes widen and he nods, running outside of the Training Centre and heading to the hotel.

"Where is he going?" Melanie asks, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. _I misjudged her, thinking she would be like Finnick. Narcissistic, flirtatious and arrogant, but she turned out to be actually nice and considerate. She kind of reminds me of Madge in a way._

"He has a meeting with the Game Makers. To plan out the arena and everything. Sometimes, they let mentors give suggestion and inputs." I tell her quickly, hoping that my lie would sound believably. She looks skeptical, but then hesitantly nods. "I have to go meet Johanna and Blight, I'll see you both soon." I tell them, walking towards the elevator, punching the floor number for the mentor's lounge. _I wonder how Thalia's doing. She's probably having a rough time, loosing her district partner. I know how that feels like. Although Thalia and her district partner were not nearly as close as I was with Peeta, and did not have the history that we had. I'll go ask Johanna and Blight about her. I'm not so sure why I was so rude to her last time, I'll just apologise to her when I see her next time. _The elevator door opens and I see the mentor's lounge deserted except for Blight, who is sitting on the couch by himself and Cecilia and Woof, who seem to be in the middle of an intense conversation. I walk over to Blight and join him on the couch, he's looking at the board that estimates the tributes' chances of winning. "Where's Johanna and the others?" I ask him, looking around for her and the other mentors. _Where are they? _He glances at me, eyebrows furrowed and sigh.

"Johanna's at an appointment. So are some others. That's why it's so quiet." He says quietly, going back to being silent. _So that's what Finnick and Blight were talking about in the hovercraft when we wanted to get Thalia. It's not only Finnick who's forced into prostitution. Gloss, Cashmere, Johanna, hell maybe even Brutus and Enobaria._

"So why are you-" I ask him hesitantly, not wanting to sound rude and intrusive but genuinely wanting to know why he wasn't forced into prostitution like I am too. _Then why is he here? _

"My games were perfect. Not in the way you and I, along with any other victor would think but it was perfect to Snow. I killed 6 children and I was vicious and ruthless. I lived up to their expectations. I was forced into prostitution by Snow but since Finnick won, I didn't have to do any of it because the Capitol had found someone better to, well, fuck." He says, rolling his eyes. I wince when he mentions Finnick and all of his Capitol lovers who just want to fuck him. _Oh Finnick. It's like the odds are never in your favour._ Blight and I sit there, watching the lights flicker on the board in awkward silence.

"How are your tributes?" I ask him, trying to start a conversation to end the awkward silence. He shrugs, and slump back in his seat.

"They're both uncharismatic and they both have no skill whatsoever. Guess District 7 won't have a winner this year. Not that I thought we were, it's rare to win two times in a row. The only exception were Cashmere and Gloss, the siblings who won the games in a row." He says bluntly, putting his feet on the table in front of us. _I guess that's what happens when you mentor for too long. You get hopeless and you don't care about them anymore. Well that won't happen to me, I'm determined to bring one of my tributes home. I hope it'll be Alice but if it does get down to Todd and some other tributes, I'll help him, unwillingly that is. He's still and arrogant, pompous ass. _"You? What about your tributes?"

"Alice seems nice and with Cinna's help, maybe I make her look desirable for the sponsors. I'm not too sure about her skills and strategy though." I tell him quietly. He nods in understanding then glances back at me.

"And the boy?"

"Todd? He's pretty strong and just oh-so-handsome, as I recall him saying." I say sarcastically, gritting my teeth in the process. "No, he's just some arrogant, narcissistic, self-righteous, pompous bastard who doesn't care about anyone and only wants to win for himself." I growl, clenching my fists in irritation. Blight laughs, clutching his hands over his stomach, his loud laugh, filling the mentor's lounge.

"Looks like you have another Finnick then! Lucky you Ms. Everdeen, people would die for one Finnick and here you have two!" He says jokingly, _Finnick? Todd is so different from Finnick. Blight can't seriously think that right? _I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder, glaring at him.

"Ha-Ha. Very funny. Todd is so different from Finnick. I can see it in his eyes. The glint of anger and thirst for blood and victory is there. Finnick's more like me. We changed and we killed to survive, for our family." I tell him, my face twisting slightly when I mentioned Finnick and my similarity. _Did I really just compare Finnick with me? And say that he's like me?_ Blight chuckles and raises his arms in surrender, not saying another word but still having an amused smirk on his face. _Ugh, I know he's probably going to bring this up again some time soon. _

"Which brings me to my next question. Why are you here? Not that you're presence is not superb and unwelcome or anything. But I don't recall you being here all that much before the games even started the last Hunger Games." He asks me, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I'm not too fond of Todd. And I don't look forward to sleep on the same floor as he is. Maybe with me being there, it'll ruin his beauty sleep because of his constant need to tell me that he's going to win and that he doesn't need my help." I tell him with venom spitting out of my words.

"Wait, he actually said that he doesn't need your help?" Blight asks, his eyes widening in surprise. _If that surprises you, wait till you actually meet him. _

"That and a bunch of other things that he'll regret saying when he's in the arena. Charmer, he is." I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes in irritation.

"Then why don't you just sleep on Finnick's floor?" He says cheekily.

"And why would I do that?" I ask him, trying to mask up the fact that I have actually done that and the rumours spreading that me and Finnick are sleeping together, in a sexual way.

"Well, from what I've heard. The people from his appointments aren't the only ones getting it from Finnick." He says teasingly, guffawing at the end of his sentence. _What the hell! Who does he think I am? A sleazy whore? I've just got together with Finnick for a month, and none of them actually even know that! _I growl and shake my head, smacking the back of his head in irritation. "God, okay Katniss! I get it. You both aren't sleeping together and are strictly professional, just fellow mentors. God, you didn't need to hit me." He says, rubbing the back of his head.

"You've been in the Hunger Games and now you're complaining about a hit to the head from a girl? Real manly." I say sarcastically, laughing lightly.

"From a strong girl! Who has muscles! Who in fact won the Hunger Games too, if you have forgotten." He complains, defending his pride.

"Yeah, but I'm not the one complaining about a small hit to the head." I tell him, which makes him roll his eyes. He growls and pushes me off the couch, making me hit the floor of my ass. "Hey!" I shout when I see him smiling in victory.

"Who's complaining now?" He says, but I use my leg to kick him down onto the floor as well. We laugh for a couple of minutes but am silenced when someone coughs to break us up from our fit of laughter. I look up, still laughing slightly and see a pair of green eyes. _Finnick._

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the cliffhanger, I wanted to continue but then I decided to put it in the next chapter and to give some suspense in the end of this chapter. So, Like it? Hate it? Please tell me in your reviews! Your opinion means a lot to me and I always look forward to see the reviews I get. And don't hesitate to suggest ideas and to tell me what you want in the upcoming chapters. Credits to 'Kkzsofi' and 'annieledark' for the idea about Todd being strong, career-like and not liking Katniss and everything. And also to 'Kat' about the characterisation for Melanie, don't worry she's not going to be a major antagonist in this story but she'll also be flirting with Finnick so don't worry 'annieledark'! PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews = Love and another chapter tomorrow!**


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